Patna Cyber Police bust digital arrest gang, three held
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Patna Cyber Police have dismantled an alleged organised cybercrime network involved in 'digital arrests', financial scams, and online fraud, arresting three individuals on 3 September. The accused reportedly targeted victims across multiple states, with the fraud running into crores of rupees.
Who Was Arrested
The three accused have been identified as Gaurav Kumar, a resident of New Colony, Khagaul-Danapur; Adarsh Kumar of Transport Nagar; and Aman Raj of Kumhrar. All three were active in Patna for at least the past six months, according to police.
Investigators noted that the accused were continuously shifting locations to evade detection — a common tactic among organised cybercrime networks operating across state lines.
How the Gang Operated
Preliminary investigation revealed that the trio allegedly deployed deceptive methods to conduct 'digital arrests' — a growing form of cyber fraud in which victims are coerced into staying on video calls under the false pretence of a police or government investigation. The gang's operations reportedly extended across different parts of the country.
Multiple complaints linked to the accused were found registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, corroborating the cross-state scale of the alleged fraud. Technical analysis of suspected transactions generated several investigative leads that helped the Cyber Police zero in on the accused.
What Was Recovered
Police seized several items allegedly used in the cybercrimes, including a car carrying a political party flag, six mobile phones, two laptops, three chequebooks, two passbooks, and five ATM cards. The recovered devices and bank documents are currently being examined to identify additional gang members and trace financial transactions linked to the fraud.
Legal Action and Next Steps
An FIR has been registered at the Patna Cyber Police Station under various sections of the IT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). All three accused have been remanded to judicial custody.
Police have said further investigation is underway, with more details about other alleged associates and the full extent of the financial transactions expected to emerge in the coming days.