The Delhi Police have apprehended four individuals accused of defrauding a man of Rs 31.55 lakh through threats, officials announced on Sunday.
According to the police, the suspects are believed to have connections in China. The arrested individuals are Dev Bhati (36), Robin Solanki (25), Vishnu Solanki (20), and Aakash Kumar Jain (31).
On July 18, a complaint was lodged online by the victim, who claimed that on July 13, he received a phone call stating that a mobile SIM card issued in his name had been linked to several criminal activities. The caller warned that the police from Aaram Bagh in Lucknow were searching for him, explained Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harsha Vardhan.
The caller informed the victim that 17 FIRs had been filed against the SIM card registered under his name, accusing it of being used in money laundering and human trafficking offences, Vardhan added.
The officer further mentioned that the suspects extorted Rs 31.55 lakh from the victim by threatening him.
“During the investigation, we acquired details of the bank accounts where the swindled money was deposited, revealing that current accounts were set up in different cities under various names,” the police officer stated.
The bank accounts in question saw transactions amounting to several crores over a short time, with the funds quickly transferred to various other accounts, according to the police.
“Following all the leads, we arrested suspect Dev Bhati on July 26. Subsequently, two more suspects, Robin and Vishnu, were detained on July 28, who provided bank account details. Interrogation revealed that within two days, Rs 1.25 crore was credited into Dev Bhati’s account,” said the DCP.
On July 31, Aakash Kumar Jain was arrested in Mahipalpur, Delhi. He is purportedly the main operator of all the accounts and maintained contact with fraudsters operating from China via social media platforms, the officer added.
Police recovered seven mobile phones and one laptop used in the crime.
“More than 150 bank accounts were identified as being used by the suspects to deposit the stolen money,” said DCP Vardhan, adding that further investigations are underway. (With inputs from PTI)
