The Surat City Cyber Crime Cell has arrested a 46-year-old Mumbai-based businessman for allegedly providing his company's bank account to an absconding accused, enabling a cyber fraud in which a complainant was cheated of ₹5,88,909 through a fake e-commerce scheme. The arrest was made on 7 October 2026, following a technical investigation by a team led by Police Inspector A.M. Mori.

How the Fraud Was Executed

According to the Surat Cyber Crime Branch, the primary accused — who remains at large — contacted the complainant through a dating app and shared a link to a fraudulent website. The complainant was instructed to create a user ID on the platform and was told that conducting e-commerce transactions through it would yield substantial returns.

Believing the promise of attractive profits, the complainant transferred a cumulative amount of ₹5,88,909 across multiple bank accounts as part of the purported business. The funds were never returned, prompting the victim to file a formal complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station.

The Case Against the Arrested Accused

Police identified the arrested individual as Imran Khilchi, a businessman residing in the Grant Road area of Mumbai. He allegedly provided the current account of his firm to an absconding accused reportedly based in Dubai, and received a commission of ₹12,000 in return.

Investigators found that a staggering ₹1,36,05,550 was transacted through the firm's current account between 9 April 2021 and 24 September 2026 — a detail that broadens the scope of the probe well beyond the initial complaint.

Legal Sections Invoked

A case was registered under Sections 318(4), 336(2), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 61(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, as well as Section 66D of the Information Technology Amendment Act, 2008 — which specifically addresses cheating by impersonation using computer resources.

Police Warning to the Public

The Surat Cyber Crime Cell used the occasion to issue a public advisory, cautioning citizens against lending their bank accounts to others in exchange for commissions or any other inducement. Authorities warned that such accounts can be misused for large-scale cyber fraud, and that account holders risk criminal prosecution for all transactions routed through them.

This case follows a broader national pattern of 'money mule' networks — where individuals knowingly or unknowingly provide bank accounts to fraudsters — which has emerged as a key enabler of online financial crime in India. With the absconding accused reportedly in Dubai, investigators are expected to pursue international coordination channels as the probe deepens.