Delhi Police arrest two in ₹80 lakh stock market investment fraud
Synopsis
Delhi Police have cracked an ₹80 lakh online investment fraud, arresting two men — one nabbed from a five-star hotel in New Delhi — who allegedly lured a victim with promises of high stock market returns, then vanished with the money. Stocks worth ₹25 lakh have been frozen, but a larger network remains under investigation.
Key Takeaways
Delhi Police arrested Piyush Kumar and Jatin Khajotia , both aged 31 , in an online investment fraud case on 21 June 2026 .
The victim was allegedly cheated of approximately ₹80 lakh through fake stock market investment schemes promising high returns.
Stocks worth approximately ₹25 lakh have been frozen as part of asset recovery efforts.
The case is registered under FIR No.
182/2026 at Police Station Rajinder Nagar under Sections 318(4)/3(5) BNS.
Piyush Kumar was arrested from Hotel ITC Maurya, New Delhi ; Jatin Khajotia was detained from Gurugram .
Investigation is ongoing to identify additional beneficiaries and recover remaining funds.
Delhi Police have arrested two individuals in connection with an online investment fraud case in which a victim was allegedly cheated of approximately ₹80 lakh on the pretext of high returns from stock market investments. The arrests mark a significant breakthrough in a case registered at Police Station Rajinder Nagar under FIR No. 182/2026.
How the Fraud Was Carried Out
According to police, the accused allegedly gained the complainant's trust and induced him to invest in stock market-linked schemes by promising exceptionally high returns. The victim transferred money across multiple transactions, but neither the promised profits nor the principal amount was returned. Investigators found that 'a portion of the cheated amount had been diverted through multiple beneficiary accounts and invested in stock market instruments,' according to the police statement.
Who Was Arrested
The two accused have been identified as Piyush Kumar (31), a resident of Karol Bagh, Delhi, and Jatin Khajotia (31), a resident of Gurugram, Haryana. Piyush Kumar was arrested from Hotel ITC Maurya, New Delhi, while Jatin Khajotia was detained from Gurugram, based on specific technical inputs and intelligence gathered during the investigation.
Investigation and Money Trail
The case was assigned to Sub Inspector Dharmendra, with a dedicated team formed under the supervision of Shivam, ACP Karol Bagh, and led by Inspector Rajender Singh, SHO, Police Station Rajinder Nagar. The team conducted an extensive financial and technical investigation, scrutinising bank accounts, transaction records, digital evidence, and mobile data. Through sustained surveillance and analysis of beneficiary accounts, investigators traced the movement of funds and identified the individuals involved.
Assets Frozen, Further Recovery Underway
As part of recovery efforts, stocks worth approximately ₹25 lakh have been frozen. Police confirmed that prior criminal involvement of the accused is under verification, and further investigation is underway to identify additional beneficiaries and recover the remaining funds. The case has been registered under Sections 318(4)/3(5) BNS.
Wider Network Under Scrutiny
Authorities stated that the case remains under active investigation as efforts continue to dismantle the broader network behind the online investment fraud. This comes amid a sharp rise in stock market-linked investment scams across Indian cities, where fraudsters exploit retail investors' appetite for high returns. With digital financial transactions increasingly being used to layer and divert proceeds of crime, police say technical surveillance has become central to such investigations.
Point of View
Giving scammers a ready pool of targets. The use of multiple beneficiary accounts and layered stock market instruments to launder proceeds shows increasing sophistication — and points to networks larger than two individuals. The freezing of only ₹25 lakh against a ₹80 lakh fraud underscores how quickly digitally-moved money can be dissipated before investigators catch up. The real test for Delhi Police will be whether they can dismantle the wider network or whether this stops at two arrests.
NationPress
21 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were arrested in the Delhi online investment fraud case?
The two arrested accused are Piyush Kumar (31), a resident of Karol Bagh, Delhi, and Jatin Khajotia (31), a resident of Gurugram, Haryana. They were apprehended based on technical inputs and intelligence gathered during the investigation.
How much money was the victim cheated of?
The victim was allegedly cheated of approximately ₹80 lakh, which was transferred across multiple transactions after the accused promised high returns from stock market investments. Neither the promised profits nor the principal amount was returned.
What assets have been recovered so far?
Stocks worth approximately ₹25 lakh have been frozen as part of recovery efforts. Police are continuing to trace further financial assets linked to the proceeds of crime.
Under which legal sections was the FIR registered?
The case was registered under FIR No. 182/2026 at Police Station Rajinder Nagar, Delhi, under Sections 318(4)/3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Is the investigation still ongoing?
Yes, the case remains under active investigation. Police are working to identify additional beneficiaries, recover remaining funds, and verify the prior criminal involvement of the arrested accused, with the aim of dismantling the wider fraud network.
