Delhi Police Arrests Restaurateur in Major Digital Arrest Scam
In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, Delhi Police has apprehended a 49-year-old restaurateur for his alleged involvement in providing mule accounts to scammers linked to digital-arrest cases. The accused, identified as Mohammad Javed, is the son of the founder of the renowned restaurant chain Khan Chacha, which was later acquired by another businessman.
Details of the Arrest and Investigation
Police officials revealed that the case centers on fraudulent transactions totaling approximately Rs 3.3 crore. A portion of these illicit funds was routed through a bank account associated with Javed, a resident of Sainik Farm in Delhi. The investigation was initiated after scrutiny of complaints filed on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), which flagged several suspicious transactions traced to a specific bank account.
Initial inquiries uncovered that this account had been exploited to receive and transfer money defrauded from victims of cyber-fraud schemes. According to a statement from Delhi Police, the account was registered under the company name 'Saleem Javed Rule The Rolls Since 1960,' operating from Khan Market in New Delhi. This entity was connected to the franchise business of the well-known brand Khan Chacha.
Clarifications from Current Owner and Interrogation Findings
Navneet Kalra, the present owner of Khan Chacha, has clarified that the brand is no longer associated with the accused individuals. He emphasized that Khan Chacha was acquired years ago and that Javed and his associates had worked with the chain approximately a decade back.
During interrogation, Javed and his brother, Mohd. Saleem (49), admitted to originally opening the account for their restaurant and catering ventures. However, due to financial hardships, they allegedly permitted others to use the account in exchange for a commission. Police reported that the brothers were offered a 2-3% commission for their involvement.
Scope of the Fraud and Ongoing Efforts
The investigation has linked 21 complaints to the bank account, involving a total sum of at least Rs 3.3 crore. Around Rs 54 lakh was credited into the account, which was then layered and transferred to various other accounts as part of the money laundering process.
Authorities noted that the accused had attempted to delete certain chat records to conceal their participation, but crucial digital evidence was successfully recovered during the probe. Delhi Police is currently on the lookout for three other associates connected to this case, as efforts continue to dismantle the broader network involved in these digital-arrest scams.
