New Delhi, March 9 – Delhi Police has arrested four cyber fraudsters accused of extorting ₹44.50 lakh from a man by impersonating Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers and using the ‘digital arrest’ scam. As per agency reports, the accused used this method to falsely accuse the victim of criminal activities and coerced him into transferring money to avoid legal action.
The scam came to light when Virendra Kumar Indora, a resident of Mayur Vihar Phase-1, lodged a complaint on January 29. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abhishek Dhania, Indora received a call from an individual claiming to be a CBI officer, who falsely accused him of involvement in criminal activities. The fraudsters threatened him with legal action and pressured him into transferring the amount to avoid arrest.
During the investigation, forensic analysis of bank transactions revealed that ₹38 lakh had been transferred to a private bank account registered in the name of Jaipur resident Dinesh Singhadiya. The police found that the money was later withdrawn via cheque. Acting on this information, a police team raided Jaipur and arrested Singhadiya on March 5.
Upon interrogation, Singhadiya disclosed the involvement of five other individuals in the scam. Based on his statement, another suspect, Prashant Verma, was arrested for assisting in opening fraudulent bank accounts used for financial transactions. Further investigations led to the arrest of Prakash Choudhary, who was linked to Mahesh Nehra, the alleged mastermind of the scam with direct connections to international cyber criminals.
Choudhary facilitated money laundering by liaising with fraudsters through social media, helping Nehra operate fraudulent bank accounts. The police later arrested Gajendra Kumar from Kuchaman City, Rajasthan, who had assisted Singhadiya in withdrawing ₹38 lakh from the bank. Four mobile phones used for coordinating the gang’s illegal activities were also seized.
According to police officials, the arrested individuals were in direct contact with international cybercriminals involved in similar frauds across the country. Their primary role was to withdraw the fraudulently acquired money from banks using cheques and ATMs before handing it over to their foreign handlers.
Among the arrested, 26-year-old Singhadiya worked as a DJ assistant and a daily wage laborer in Jaipur, while 24-year-old Prashant Verma was also involved in DJ work. Prakash Choudhary, 21, had dropped out of college and was residing in Jaipur. Gajendra Kumar, a B.Sc. graduate, was preparing for government examinations.
Police are continuing their investigation to trace other possible connections in the fraud network and identify additional individuals involved in similar scams.
