Rourkela: In a major breakthrough, Rourkela Police on Tuesday arrested two fraudsters from Mumbai for allegedly duping a bishop of Rs 14.36 lakh by posing as CBI officers and placing him under a fake “digital arrest.”
With the fresh arrests, police have exposed a major interstate cyber fraud network, apart from freezing bank accounts holding Rs 21 lakh.
The accused have been identified as Nayan Nalini Nathwani (47) and Dhawal Paresh Pandya (35), both residents of Kandivali in Mumbai.
Police said the accused posed as officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and contacted Bishop Kishore Kujur, a resident of the Hamirpur Church area in Rourkela. Claiming that he was involved in a criminal case, they allegedly intimidated him with threats of arrest and legal action before coercing him into transferring Rs 14.36 lakh to bank accounts controlled by the syndicate.
After the victim approached the police, a case was registered and subsequently a Special Investigation Team (SIT) launched a detailed technical investigation. By analysing digital footprints, bank transactions, and mobile phone records, investigators traced the money trail to Mumbai.
During the operation, police seized two mobile phones, SIM cards, and other digital evidence from the accused. Investigators found that the cheated money had been routed through multiple bank accounts across Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and at least eight other states to conceal the origin and movement of funds.
Police said two bank accounts linked to the accused have been frozen, with transactions worth about Rs 21 lakh put on hold. Preliminary investigation indicates that the accused were part of an organised interstate cybercrime network that created and operated mule bank accounts for receiving and transferring proceeds of cyber fraud. Investigators are also examining their suspected links to international financial transactions.
DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Kumar Rai told reporters that the accused acted as account handlers who received the cheated money before transferring it through multiple bank accounts. He said the investigation is focused on identifying the masterminds behind the fraud and uncovering the entire network involved in the “digital arrest” racket.
Rourkela Superintendent of Police Nitesh Wadhwani said cybercriminals involved in such scams often use fake identities, multiple bank accounts, and digital platforms, making them difficult to trace during the initial stages of investigation. He said sustained technical analysis and coordinated efforts enabled police to identify and arrest the accused from Mumbai.
Further investigation is in progress and police are trying to identify other members of the syndicate, trace the money trail, and ascertain whether the accused were involved in similar cyber frauds elsewhere.
Police have urged citizens to remain cautious of calls from individuals claiming to be officers of agencies such as the CBI, police, or other law enforcement bodies.
