Panchkula Police have arrested seven individuals in connection with three significant cyber-crime cases. The arrests span across Rajasthan and Jalandhar, with the suspects facing charges for online fraud, blackmail, and cheating.
In the first case, Col Debasis Chaudhary (retd), a 77-year-old resident of Sector 2, Panchkula, was duped of Rs10 lakh by scammers posing as bank employees and police officers. The fraud began when Col Chaudhary received a call from a person claiming to be a bank employee, who informed him that there was an issue with his credit card. The caller then transferred him to another individual, who posed as a police officer.
Soon, the scammers took the fraud further by sending a WhatsApp video call from a person claiming to be a police officer from Bandra Police Station. They showed him a fake letter from the Enforcement Directorate, claiming that an investigation involving money laundering was underway and threatened him with arrest. They eventually convinced him to pay a Rs10 lakh surety with the assurance that it would be refunded within two days.
The police arrested Vishnu, Sonu, Hemant Kumar, and Sanjay Kumar—all hailing from Rajasthan. Vishnu and Sanjay were remanded in police custody for five days, while Sonu and Hemant Kumar were sent to judicial custody.
In another case, Ram Kanwar Dalal, a retired government employee from Sector 25, was scammed into transferring Rs9.10 lakh. Dalal received a call on April 1, 2024, from someone posing as his nephew in Australia. The scammer claimed to have deposited the money in Dalal’s account and asked him to transfer it to a friend for urgent medical treatment. Dalal, believing the story, transferred money as instructed, only to discover later that he had been defrauded.
The police arrested Bobby from Rajasthan, who was allegedly responsible for the fraud. He was sent to five-day police remand.
In the third case, two individuals, Ankur Thakural and Timsy, both from Jalandhar, were arrested for blackmailing a person by sending obscene pictures. The scammers reportedly used these images to extort money from the victim. The duo was arrested and sent to judicial custody.
Panchkula’s Cyber Police Station in-charge, Inspector Lalit Kumar, urged residents to be vigilant and report any cyber fraud immediately by calling 1930, a dedicated helpline number for cybercrime-related issues.
The series of arrests showcases the ongoing efforts by the Panchkula Police to combat cybercrime, which has seen a rising number of cases in recent years, involving everything from bank fraud and blackmail to phishing and financial scams. The police continue to crack down on fraudulent activities, urging the public to stay cautious and report any suspicious activities promptly.
