The Cyber Crime Police Station in Sector 20, Panchkula, has arrested the third accused in a high-value digital arrest fraud case in which a 70-year-old resident of Pinjore was defrauded of over Rs 80 lakh.
Third Accused Apprehended in Telangana
The accused, identified as Ranjarla Ramulu, a resident of Telangana, was taken into custody from Nizamabad district following a technical investigation. According to the police, Ramulu's bank account was used to receive a major portion of the defrauded amount. Investigators found cyber transactions worth approximately Rs 5.47 crore linked to his account, while 18 cyber fraud complaints have been registered against him across the country.
Earlier, the police had arrested two other accused — Saurabh Kumar of Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, and Pathukar Murali Krishna of Hyderabad — in connection with the case.
FIR Registered in January 2026
The FIR was registered on January 19, 2026, under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after the victim alleged that fraudsters posing as officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) contacted him through a WhatsApp video call. They falsely claimed that a SIM card issued in his name had been used in a major crime and that his bank account had received illegal transactions worth Rs 2 crore.
The fraudsters allegedly showed forged documents bearing the Maharashtra Police logo and threatened the victim with arrest, while warning that his children could also face harm.
Fraud Modus Operandi
On the pretext of verifying his bank accounts and assuring him that the money would be returned after the verification process, the accused persuaded the victim to transfer Rs 80.09 lakh to multiple bank accounts, including Rs 62 lakh to Ramulu's account.
DCP (Crime and Traffic) Amarinder Singh said Ramulu admitted during interrogation that he and his associates had opened a fake company account to receive the fraud proceeds. After obtaining a four-day transit remand from a court in Telangana, the Panchkula Police brought him to the city for questioning. He was later remanded to judicial custody.
Ongoing Investigation and Public Advisory
The police said efforts were underway to trace other members of the fraud syndicate and appealed to residents to report suspicious calls to the cyber helpline 1930 or the nearest cyber police station.
