A significant international cyberfraud investigation led by the Belagavi police has been thrown into disarray after all the accused managed to secure bail and obtain a court order halting further probes. The case, unearthed on November 11, 2025, involved a fraudulent call centre accused of cheating American nationals out of millions of dollars.
Raid Reveals Extensive Scam, But Suspects Slip Away
In a coordinated raid, police detained 33 suspects, including five women, from various Indian states. They were allegedly running a sophisticated online scam targeting US citizens. However, critical police failures allowed the situation to unravel. The five women were released with a warning the next day, while the remaining 28 men were arrested and produced in court.
Despite the scale of the operation, the police failed to present evidence in a timely manner to oppose bail. A preliminary forensic analysis of just four laptops and four mobile phones seized from the accused revealed data linked to at least 85 American victims. Senior police sources believe the gang may have defrauded over 1,000 Americans, with losses running into hundreds of crores of rupees.
Legal Tangles and a Stalled Investigation
The case took several controversial turns. Initially, a local court rejected bail for the 28 men. Subsequently, Belagavi Police Commissioner Bhushan Borase requested the case be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). He cited the international scope, the need for Interpol coordination, a lack of local cyber expertise, and his upcoming duties for the Belagavi legislature session.
In a dramatic twist, all suspects were granted bail by the High Court just two days after the CID took over. The court also ordered an immediate stay on the investigation. This order has effectively frozen the probe for the past one-and-a-half months. The suspects have since absconded, raising fears that crucial evidence may be destroyed.
Sources indicate the Belagavi police were reluctant to present evidence in the High Court as the case was now with the CID, leaving the public prosecutor with little material to argue against bail. The next hearing is crucial and is scheduled for January 8.
Modus Operandi and the Road Ahead
According to the police, the syndicate's masterminds operated from West Bengal and Gujarat. The accused used Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and virtual private networks (VPNs) to mask their location, making calls appear to originate from within the United States. Posing as US law enforcement or customer service officials, they used scripts to threaten victims with legal action or "digital arrest," coercing payments often through gift cards.
Commissioner Borase stated that the police department will move to vacate the stay order. "We will fight the case to continue the investigation. We have ample material to prove the offence," he said. He attributed the bail grant to the court's observation that there was no direct victim complaint on record at the time. The police are expected to present the same evidence before the court on January 8 that initially led to the denial of bail.
The outcome of the upcoming hearing will determine if investigators can resume their pursuit of what is considered one of the largest international cyberfraud rackets uncovered in the region.
