Cuttack: The Commissionerate Police of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack on Sunday arrested the key accused in a cyber fraud case involving fake stock market investments.
The accused has been identified as Amulya Kumar Sahoo (40), son of Baishnab Sahoo, a resident of Sainta village in the Gopalpur area under Chandbali Police Station in Bhadrak district.
He was apprehended in Bhadrak with the assistance of Chandbali Police.
According to an official press release, the arrest follows a complaint lodged on January 5, 2025, wherein the victim reported being defrauded by an online group posing as stock brokers under the name Allianz Global Investors. The complainant joined a WhatsApp group on November 14, 2024 and was persuaded to create a “VIP trading account” via a mobile app called ‘Trade Genius’.
The victim was in contact with the fraudsters through the mobile numbers 7367905636, 8541810254, and 6232499755, and subsequently transferred a total of Rs 7,68,005 through six transactions during November and December 2024.
Upon realizing the scam, the complainant reported the matter on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and approached the Cyber Police Station in Cuttack.
A detailed investigation was launched by the Cyber Police Station, Cuttack UPD, based on inputs from telecom operators and banks. Technical analysis of mobile numbers and bank accounts led to the identification of the accused.
A special team under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police was formed, comprising ACP Satyajit Das, Inspector R. Jena, SI Lili Sahoo, Constables D.P. Sahoo, U.K. Behuria, and S. Minz. The team successfully traced and arrested the accused from Bhadrak.
Investigations revealed that Amulya Kumar Sahoo provided bank account and mobile number details for use in fraudulent transactions. His account was used to receive and route the defrauded funds.
The police seized:
- 5 cheque books (UCO Bank, SBI, HDFC, B.B. Central Co-op Bank, Suryodaya SFB)
- 12 ATM/credit cards from various banks
- 3 mobile phones (Samsung Galaxy F15, Galaxy J6+, Samsung Duos Keypad)
- 5 SIM cards (3 Jio, 1 Airtel, 1 BSNL)
- Key documents: Aadhaar Card, 2 PAN cards, NPS Card, Driving Licence, Voter ID, and two ATM cards in others’ names
The accused has been brought to Cuttack for court production and further investigation is underway to trace others involved in the racket.
