Mumbai, March 31: A 69-year-old retired senior official from the DN Nagar area of Andheri, Mumbai, fell victim to a cyber fraud scheme that lasted 25 days. The perpetrators, posing as police and court officials, defrauded him of ₹1.57 crore.
The scammers conducted a fake court hearing via video call, using the name of a former Supreme Court judge to intimidate the victim.
According to Mumbai police, swift action was taken following the victim’s complaint. The cyber cell arrested Ashok Pal, an auto-rickshaw driver, who played a crucial role in the scam. He allegedly allowed the fraudsters to use his bank account to transfer the stolen funds in exchange for a commission.
The incident began on December 6, 2025, when the victim received a call from a man named Sanjay Kumar Gupta, who claimed to be an official from the telecommunications department. Gupta alleged that objectionable MMS messages were being sent from the victim’s mobile number and that a case had been registered against him at the Bandra crime branch.
The call was then transferred to another individual named Pradeep Sawant, who posed as a police officer. He instructed the victim to report to a police station located in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). The scammers accused the victim of being involved in money laundering and referenced an alleged investigation being conducted by another officer named Vijay Khanna to instill fear.
To lend credibility to their claims, the fraudsters set up a fake court session via video call, presenting it as a proceeding overseen by former Chief Justice of India B.S. Gawai. The victim was threatened with legal action and immediate arrest if he did not comply.
The scammers instructed the victim to transfer all his funds, including fixed deposits, mutual funds, and savings accounts, to designated bank accounts for “verification” during the investigation. Fearing arrest, the victim complied and transferred ₹1.57 crore in multiple transactions between December 8, 2025, and January 3, 2026.
The fraud came to light when the scammers stopped contacting the victim after the money was transferred, raising suspicions. After consulting with family and friends, the victim reached out to the cyber cell and filed a formal complaint.
During the investigation, police traced the transactions and discovered that a significant portion of the funds had been funneled through Ashok Pal’s bank account. Upon questioning, Pal admitted to allowing the cybercriminals to use his account for a commission.
Pal has been arrested, and efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend the remaining members of the fraud network.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
Leave a Comment