Jharsuguda: In a major breakthrough, Jharsuguda police have busted a cybercrime gang involved in a sophisticated ‘Digital Arrest’ scam that targeted elderly victims. Four main conspirators were arrested from Surat, Gujarat, and their operation was exposed following months of investigation.
The accused—Shahrukh Umar Khatik (27), Sharad Sukalal Mali alias Ajay (25), Rahil Seikh (24), and Malek Shahrukh Hanif Isha (26), all residents of Surat district—allegedly posed as law enforcement officers to defraud victims.
Police seized more than 20 mobile phones, three laptops, three computer systems, and ₹2 lakh in cash during the raid. Additionally, ₹17 lakh is being frozen, and ₹14 lakh has been recovered and reverted to the complainant’s bank account.
The cybercrime came to light after a complaint was filed by Jagdish Karabhai Bhardwaj at Jharsuguda Sadar Police Station on May 14. The victim was defrauded of ₹34 lakh in two phases, with the gang using high-pressure tactics to extort the money.
The criminals targeted vulnerable elderly individuals, particularly those living alone and with significant bank savings. They posed as senior officers from law enforcement agencies, contacting victims through Skype calls. Claiming the victim’s name was linked to a money laundering investigation, they issued threats, asserting that local police would be unable to assist.
They coerced victims into compliance, declaring them under “Digital Arrest” and demanding immediate transactions to avoid severe legal consequences. The fraudsters used pre-prepared Excel sheets with hundreds of UPI IDs (Google Pay and PhonePe) to quickly transfer funds. Money was dispersed in small amounts across multiple accounts to evade detection.
The Jharsuguda Cyber Cell spent five months analyzing digital evidence and conducting extensive financial investigations. The team traced the second- and third-layer suspects across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Raids in these states culminated in the arrests and seizure of operational tools.
Police also sealed the Surat office where the cybercriminals orchestrated their fraud. Their sophisticated setup allowed them to rapidly launder funds, making tracking and recovery challenging.
This case underscores the growing menace of cybercrime targeting the elderly and the urgent need for awareness and digital security measures.
