Digital Fraud Arrest: Four Individuals Captured for Swindling Indore Businesswoman of ₹1.6 Crore
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Bhopal, Dec 9 (NationPress) In a significant development, the Crime Branch of Madhya Pradesh Police has apprehended four individuals in relation to a case of 'digital fraud' where an Indore-based businesswoman was deceived of ₹1.6 crore.
The suspects were captured in Maihar within the Satna district and Surat in Gujarat. The bank accounts to which the funds were transferred belonged to these four arrested individuals, while another suspect remains at large, according to police reports.
During a press briefing on Monday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP-Crime Branch) Rajesh Tripathi stated, "We have detained four individuals, with two hailing from Maihar and the other two from Surat. They are currently in police custody and undergoing interrogation."
He elaborated that the fraudsters had deceived a 50-year-old woman by falsely involving her in a money laundering investigation, effectively placing her under 'digital arrest' for a span of three days. "We are actively searching for the mastermind behind this operation," Tripathi added.
The victim was recognized as Vandana Gupta (50), the daughter-in-law of a prominent Indore-based industrialist. The con artists contacted her via a WhatsApp call, posing as ED officers on November 26.
They convinced her that she was implicated in a money laundering scandal tied to the founder of Jet Airways, who had reportedly been arrested for financial misconduct.
They threatened her with legal repercussions, alleging that black money had been traced to her accounts and claimed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had also initiated an inquiry against her.
During her three days of 'digital arrest', Vandana was coerced into providing her bank details, business information, and ID cards. The fraudsters further pressured her to liquidate her fixed deposits (FDs) and transfer ₹1.60 crore into their accounts, according to police statements.
After the transfer, the scammers continued to exert pressure on her to secure a gold loan and deposit the proceeds into their accounts. Vandana subsequently reached out to the Indore unit of the Cyber Cell and lodged a complaint on November 26.
