Ranchi police bust cyber fraud racket, arrest 5, seize 50 passbooks
Synopsis
A cybercrime cell operating out of a Ranchi apartment was dismantled on 29 May after police seized 50 bank passbooks, 26 debit cards, and 13 phones from five arrested individuals — one of them a minor. The accused, including a man from Jamtara, allegedly used fake identities to open mule accounts for routing cyber fraud proceeds, and were reportedly trained by a still-absconding handler known only as 'Nikhil Bhaiya'.
Key Takeaways
Ranchi police busted a cybercrime racket at Rock View Apartment, Dhawan Nagar on the night of 28–29 May 2026 .
Five persons arrested, including a minor from Ramgarh; case no.
68/26 registered at Gonda police station.
Police seized 50 bank passbooks , 26 debit cards , 8 cheque books , 13 mobile phones , and 3 Aadhaar cards .
Accused reportedly used fake identity documents to open bank accounts for routing cyber fraud proceeds.
A handler referred to as 'Nikhil Bhaiya' allegedly organised and trained the group; police are working to trace him.
One accused is from Jamtara , a district with a documented history of organised cybercrime operations.
Ranchi police on 29 May 2026 busted a cybercrime racket operating out of Rock View Apartment near Chandni Chowk in Dhawan Nagar, arresting five individuals — including a minor — and recovering a large cache of fraudulent banking documents. The raid, conducted under the Gonda police station limits, is among the more significant cybercrime busts in the Ranchi district this year.
How the Raid Unfolded
According to Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Ranjan, police received a tip-off on the night of 28 May at around 8 pm that a group of youths engaged in cyber fraud was operating from a flat in the apartment complex. A team led by the Sadar Deputy Superintendent of Police, along with Gonda SHO Abhay Kumar Sinha, sub-inspectors Sunny Kumar and Om Prakash Prasad, assistant sub-inspector Ramjanam Prasad, and armed personnel, moved swiftly to the location and found five persons under suspicious circumstances.
What Was Seized
The search yielded a substantial haul of documents: 50 bank passbooks issued in different names, 26 debit cards, eight cheque books, 13 mobile phones, and three Aadhaar cards. All items have been seized as evidence. The sheer volume of passbooks and cards points to an organised operation using multiple fictitious or stolen identities to open bank accounts.
What the Accused Revealed
During interrogation, the arrested individuals reportedly admitted that fake identity documents were used to open bank accounts, which were then leveraged to route proceeds from cyber fraud. They also disclosed that the flat was arranged by a person referred to as 'Nikhil Bhaiya', who allegedly called them there and trained them in committing cybercrime. Police are now actively working to trace this individual and any wider network connected to the operation.
Who Was Arrested
Those taken into custody include Kajal Kumar Mandal from Jamtara, Anand Kumar and Shakib Ansari from Ramgarh, Bikki Kumar from Bokaro, and a minor from Ramgarh. Notably, the presence of an accused from Jamtara — a district that has become synonymous with organised cybercrime in India — lends further weight to the scale and sophistication of the racket. A case bearing number 68/26 has been registered at the Gonda police station, and investigation is ongoing.
The Broader Pattern
This bust fits a well-documented pattern of Jharkhand-based cybercrime cells using mule bank accounts — opened using forged or stolen KYC documents — to launder money extracted through phishing, vishing, and online impersonation scams. Jharkhand has seen a sustained crackdown on such networks in recent years, with Jamtara and Deoghar emerging as recurring hotspots. Investigators are now working to establish whether this cell was linked to any larger syndicate operating across district or state lines.
Point of View
Forged KYC, a hub-and-spoke training model, and an absconding mastermind. What stands out is the Jamtara connection: despite years of police action and national media attention, the district continues to supply foot soldiers to urban cybercrime cells. The real question is whether investigators can climb the chain to 'Nikhil Bhaiya' and beyond, or whether this ends, as many such busts do, with the trainees in custody and the architects at large. Until enforcement reaches the account-opening facilitators — often complicit bank insiders or document forgers — the supply of mule accounts will not dry up.
NationPress
17 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What cybercrime racket did Ranchi police bust on 29 May 2026?
Ranchi police dismantled a cyber fraud cell operating from Rock View Apartment in Dhawan Nagar, arresting five individuals who allegedly used fake identity documents to open bank accounts for routing cyber fraud proceeds. The raid was conducted by a team from the Gonda police station on the night of 28 May.
What items were seized during the Ranchi cybercrime raid?
Police seized 50 bank passbooks issued in different names, 26 debit cards, 8 cheque books, 13 mobile phones, and 3 Aadhaar cards. The volume of documents suggests a coordinated operation using multiple fictitious identities.
Who was arrested in the Ranchi cyber fraud case?
Five persons were arrested: Kajal Kumar Mandal from Jamtara, Anand Kumar and Shakib Ansari from Ramgarh, Bikki Kumar from Bokaro, and a minor from Ramgarh. A case bearing number 68/26 has been registered at Gonda police station.
Who is 'Nikhil Bhaiya' mentioned in the Ranchi cybercrime case?
'Nikhil Bhaiya' is a person named by the accused during interrogation as the individual who arranged the flat and allegedly trained the group in committing cybercrime. He is currently absconding, and police are working to trace him and any larger network.
What is the significance of a Jamtara connection in this case?
Jamtara, a district in Jharkhand, has become nationally associated with organised cybercrime operations. The presence of an accused from Jamtara suggests this Ranchi cell may be linked to wider networks that have repeatedly used the same mule-account model across multiple districts.
