The Karnataka Police have made significant progress in a cyber fraud investigation, arresting two individuals involved in siphoning off Rs 1.28 crore from a doctor in Chitradurga. The accused, Pavan Kumar, a 63-year-old retired school teacher, and Zakeer Bora, a 33-year-old BTech graduate, were arrested in Sivasagar, Assam.
How the Fraud Unfolded
On August 22, Dr. Srinivasa Shetty T K, a doctor based in Chitradurga, received a phone call from someone pretending to be a Mumbai police officer. The caller claimed that Dr. Shetty’s Aadhaar card had been used to open fraudulent bank accounts for money laundering purposes. They demanded access to his bank details, stating that they needed to audit his transactions. Dr. Shetty was kept under a “digital arrest” for over 24 hours, during which time the fraudsters managed to siphon Rs 1.28 crore from his account.
After realizing what had happened, Dr. Shetty immediately approached the Cyber Crime, Economic Offences, and Narcotics (CEN) police station on August 23 and filed a formal complaint.
Investigation and Arrests
A team led by police inspector Venkatesh N swiftly began an investigation. They discovered that the stolen money had been transferred to a single bank account, referred to as a “currency account,” before being split and transferred to around 95 different accounts. This led them to Pavan Kumar’s account, which was found to be used in multiple cybercrimes across India.
Acting on these findings, the police tracked Kumar and Bora to Sivasagar, Assam, and arrested them. The investigation revealed that Zakeer and his associates had opened a current account under Pavan Kumar and his wife’s names. In exchange, Kumar received a commission for allowing his account to be used in these fraudulent activities.
A Nationwide Cyber Scam
The police discovered that the same account used to siphon Dr. Shetty’s money was involved in at least 91 other cybercrimes across the country. These scams amounted to a total of Rs 8 crore. The funds were distributed to several mule accounts and also passed through the illegal hawala trade, a method often used to transfer money without a formal banking system.
Ongoing Investigation
Pavan Kumar and Zakeer Bora are currently in judicial custody, and the investigation is ongoing. The Karnataka Police are now focusing on tracing the remaining money and identifying other individuals involved in the network of mule accounts used to transfer the stolen funds.
