Ambala police have dismantled a fake call centre allegedly operating a nationwide matrimonial fraud scheme through a Facebook page, resulting in the arrest of two key suspects from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The accused are believed to have defrauded victims by posing as marriage facilitators and extracting money under the pretext of arranging alliances.
Operation Details
The action was executed by the cyber crime team under the supervision of Ambala Superintendent of Police Ajit Singh Shekhawat. The raid was led by Cyber Crime Station House Officer Sub-Inspector Sandeep Singh, along with Assistant Sub-Inspector Parwinder Singh, Head Constable Navdeep Kumar, and other officials.
Identities of the Accused
SI Sandeep confirmed that the arrested individuals are Sudhir Kumar Sahu, a native of Chhattisgarh currently residing in Kanpur, and Tukeshwar Nand alias Shiva, also from Chhattisgarh. They were presented before a court on Friday and remanded to police custody for further interrogation.
Modus Operandi
Police revealed that the accused operated a Facebook page named 'Royal Rishte' to target unsuspecting users. Individuals interacting with the page were contacted by the accused, who collected personal details and built rapport under the guise of arranging marriages. Investigators stated that the accused employed a combination of technology and impersonation to execute the fraud.
Recovered Items
During the raid in Kanpur, police seized 19 keypad mobile phones, 10 Android smartphones, and a tablet. The keypad phones were allegedly used to make calls while impersonating women, while the Android phones facilitated WhatsApp communication. The tablet reportedly contained victim data and transaction records.
Victim Complaint
The case came to light after Suresh Kumar, a resident of Jaggi Garden in Ambala City, filed a complaint on June 6. He alleged that the accused befriended him through the Facebook page and fraudulently collected Rs 7.14 lakh in multiple transactions on the pretext of marriage. When he demanded a refund, the accused allegedly threatened to defame and kill him.
Investigation and Arrest
Following the registration of the case, the cyber crime team traced the suspects using technical surveillance and digital evidence, leading to their arrest in Kanpur.
