New Delhi: The Cyber Police Station of Delhi Police has busted an organised pan-India cyber fraud racket in which two accused allegedly cheated emotionally vulnerable people by posing as spiritual healers through fake female social media accounts, officials said on Friday.
The accused, identified as Ganesh and Mandeep Singh, both aged 21 and residents of Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, were arrested from a rented flat in Kharar in Mohali district of Punjab.
According to the police, the duo operated fake Instagram and Facebook accounts under names such as “Zaynab Khan”, “Muskan Khan”, “Kavita Chaudhary”, “Zara Khan” and “Islam Wzifa” to lure victims seeking solutions to personal and family problems.
Police said the accused targeted vulnerable individuals by posting fabricated success stories and comments on social media, claiming that a “powerful spiritual healer” had solved issues related to love affairs, marriages and family disputes through rituals and tantra practices.
Once victims contacted these profiles, the accused allegedly shared WhatsApp numbers and posed as spiritual healers. They then emotionally manipulated victims into revealing personal issues and demanded money in instalments on the pretext of performing pooja, tantra vidhya, spiritual remedies and purchasing ritual materials.
The case came to light after a complaint was lodged at Cyber Police Station (Central district) through an e-FIR under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The complainant alleged that he was repeatedly persuaded to transfer money for special rituals and spiritual remedies meant to resolve his personal problems. He reportedly transferred Rs 2.51 lakh to the accused through six separate transactions.
During investigation, police found that the accused were operating under the banner “All Problems Solutions” and had allegedly interacted with more than 2,000 people across India through fake online identities.
A police team led by Sub-Inspector Gaurav Singh, along with Head Constables Kranti, Heeral Lal and Bharat Singh, worked under the supervision of Inspector Yograj Dalal, Station House Officer of Cyber Police Station, and ACP Operations of Central District to crack the case.
Officials said the team carried out detailed technical analysis of WhatsApp numbers, Instagram accounts, login sessions, IP addresses, and digital footprints left by the accused. Financial transaction trails were also scrutinised.
Based on technical surveillance and manual investigation, the police traced the accused to their hideout in Mohali and conducted a raid, leading to their arrest.
Police recovered five smartphones allegedly used in the crime.
The devices contained fake social media accounts, WhatsApp accounts configured as “All Problems Solutions”, incriminating chats, QR codes, photographs and other digital evidence.
Ganesh is currently pursuing a B.A. through distance education, while Mandeep Singh has completed an ITI course in Diesel Engine Mechanic along with a B.A. degree.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central District), Rohit Rajbir Singh, said that investigation is underway to identify other members of the syndicate, trace the complete money trail and ascertain the total amount cheated from victims across the country.
(IANS)
