Bhubaneswar, February 28: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police has apprehended a 31-year-old cyber criminal from Bihar in connection with an investment fraud amounting to ₹2.06 crore. This information was disclosed by a senior police officer on Friday.
The accused has been identified as Prince Raj, a resident of Ratanapur in Begusarai district, Bihar. He was arrested on March 28, 2025, under a case registered at the Crime Branch Cyber Police Station. This case stemmed from a complaint filed by a businessman in Bhubaneswar.
In his complaint, the businessman reported that on December 23, 2024, unknown cyber fraudsters contacted him via the popular social media platform WhatsApp. Subsequently, he was added to a WhatsApp group without his consent.
According to the businessman, an individual posing as a fund manager from a reputable company reached out to him. This person offered assistance and persuaded him to invest in the stock market through a fake trading platform.
The group provided free stock market advice and daily technical analysis of Nifty.
Sources from the Crime Branch revealed that between December 23, 2024, and March 24, 2025, the businessman transferred a total of ₹2,06,07,500 in 54 installments to five different accounts linked to the cyber criminals.
A senior officer stated, “When the victim attempted to withdraw his money, the so-called ‘risk control team’ made various excuses to deny the release of funds. It was then that he realized he had fallen victim to a well-planned cyber scam. Following this, he filed an FIR at the Cyber Crime Police Station.”
Based on the complaint, police initiated an investigation and arrested Raj from Begusarai, Bihar, on Wednesday night. Of the ₹2.06 crore defrauded, ₹40 lakh was found in Raj’s account.
In a separate cyber fraud case, the Crime Branch also arrested Himanshu Prasad Karna and his wife Sailendri Karna from Rajkishorepada in Angul district, Odisha, for their involvement in a ₹1.55 crore investment scam.
The complaint indicated that unknown cyber fraudsters initially contacted the victim via social media and later added him to a WhatsApp group called ‘Stock Market Pioneers.’ They sent a link, enticing him to invest in a fake online trading platform with promises of high and guaranteed returns.
Misled by false assurances, the victim transferred a total of ₹1,55,66,000 in several installments to seven different bank accounts as directed by the fraudsters.
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