Chandigarh Police Crack Down on Digital Arrest Scam, Nab Six Accused
Cyber Crime police in Chandigarh have made a significant breakthrough by arresting six people, including a woman, for orchestrating a sophisticated digital arrest scam. The accused defrauded an elderly couple from Chandigarh of a staggering Rs 38 lakh. Senior Superintendent of Police (Cyber) Geetanjali Khandelwal led the investigation and identified the arrested individuals.
Details of the Arrested Accused
The police have taken into custody Veena Rani and Satnam Singh from Ferozepur. Sukhdeep Singh, also known as Sukh, and Dharminder Singh, alias Laddi, hail from Fazilka. Mukesh Prince resides in Sector 45 of Chandigarh, while Fazal Rocky was apprehended from Chennai. This diverse group worked together to execute the elaborate fraud.
How the Scam Unfolded
The complainant, Krishna Chand, reported receiving threatening calls on January 7. Fraudsters posed as Mumbai Police officials and falsely claimed that his Aadhaar card was linked to a money-laundering case. To add credibility, the scammers conducted WhatsApp video calls while wearing police uniforms. They displayed fake arrest warrants and issued severe threats of arrest against both Krishna Chand and his wife.
Under immense pressure and fear, the elderly couple complied with the demands. Krishna Chand transferred Rs 38 lakh via RTGS from his home branch in Zirakpur. The fraudsters maintained constant surveillance over the couple through continuous phone calls for nearly 24 hours. Only after this prolonged harassment did the victims manage to report the incident to the Sector 17 Cyber Crime police station.
Police Investigation Reveals Cryptocurrency Link
The police probe uncovered a complex money trail. The stolen funds were converted into USDT cryptocurrency through Mukesh Prince. Prince retained a 10% commission for his role and then transferred the remaining amount based on instructions from Fazal Rocky. Authorities acted swiftly to freeze the maximum possible funds in the linked bank accounts.
On January 8, a withdrawal of ₹24.5 lakh was made from a Chandigarh bank account held in Veena Rani's name. Police used technical surveillance to locate and arrest her from Sector 32. During interrogation, Veena admitted to withdrawing the fraud proceeds. She confessed to passing ₹4.4 lakh to her associates involved in the scam.
Chain of Arrests and International Connections
Veena's disclosure proved crucial for the investigation. It led to the subsequent arrests of Dharminder Singh, Sukhdeep Singh, and Satnam Singh from the Burail-Sector 45 area. Mukesh Prince was later traced and taken into custody. In a coordinated raid in Chennai, police arrested Fazal Rocky and recovered multiple pieces of evidence.
During questioning, Rocky revealed that he acted on direct instructions from Chinese nationals operating through the Telegram messaging app. These foreign operatives directed the withdrawals and movement of the illicit funds. The police have seized cash, electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops, along with numerous bank documents, ATM cards, and passbooks from all the accused.
This case highlights the growing threat of digital frauds targeting vulnerable elderly citizens. Chandigarh Police have demonstrated commendable efficiency in unraveling this multi-layered scam and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
