Punjab Police have busted an inter-state gang of cyber fraudsters responsible for duping noted industrialist Shri Paul (SP) Oswal, the Chairman and Managing Director of Vardhman Group, out of Rs 7 crore. The Ludhiana Police Commissioner, Kuldeep Singh Chahal, confirmed the arrest of two individuals involved in the cybercrime and recovered Rs 5.25 crore from them. Efforts are underway to apprehend seven other members of the gang, all of whom have been identified.
The cybercriminals reportedly tricked Shri Paul (SP) Oswal by impersonating government officials, with one posing as a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer. The fraudster showed the industrialist a fake arrest warrant and threatened him with “digital arrest,” compelling him to transfer funds. The criminals managed to withdraw Rs 7 crore from Shri Paul (SP) Oswal’s various bank accounts before the police intervened.
The case was registered with the cyber cell of the Ludhiana Police following a complaint from Shri Paul (SP) Oswal. Within 48 hours of the report, the police successfully solved the case and arrested two of the suspects, identified as Atanoo Choudhary and Anand Kumar Choudhary, both residents of Guwahati, Assam. The remaining members of the gang, who also hail from Assam and West Bengal, are still at large but are being actively pursued by law enforcement.
Police Commissioner Chahal praised the swift action of the cybercrime unit, which led to the arrest and recovery of a significant portion of the stolen money. He emphasized that the police are determined to capture the remaining suspects and dismantle the entire network of cybercriminals involved.
This incident comes just days after another case of cyber fraud was reported in Ludhiana, in which a local industrialist, Rajnish Ahuja, was duped of Rs 1.01 crore. In a similar scheme, the fraudsters threatened Ahuja with an arrest warrant and falsely claimed that an extortion amount had been transferred to his bank account, forcing him to transfer funds under duress.
Cybercrime has been on the rise in recent years, with fraudsters employing increasingly sophisticated techniques to target high-profile individuals and businesses. The police have urged the public, especially industrialists and business owners, to remain vigilant and report any suspicious communications to the authorities immediately to prevent falling victim to such scams.
