New Delhi | The Delhi Police South District Cyber Police Station has busted an interstate cyber fraud racket that duped devotees across the country in the name of helicopter ticket bookings for religious destinations such as Kedarnath and Vaishno Devi. Three accused—Omprakash Kumar, Rohit Kumar, and Shreyansh Tiwari alias Shivam—have been arrested in the case.
According to police, the gang operated by creating fake websites that closely resembled the official IRCTC portal and authorised helicopter booking platforms. The investigation has revealed that around 30 cyber complaints are already linked to the network, involving confirmed fraud of nearly ₹10 lakh, while the actual amount is suspected to be significantly higher.
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The case came to light after a pilgrim filed a complaint stating that he was cheated of ₹20,328 during an online booking for Kedarnath helicopter services. During technical analysis, investigators found that the accused had created fraudulent domains such as “irctc-helicopter.com” and “irct-heliyatra.com” to trap victims.
These websites were designed with high precision to replicate official portals. The layout, colour scheme, booking interface, and payment gateway were nearly identical to legitimate platforms, making it extremely difficult for ordinary users to distinguish between real and fake services. Initial findings suggest that accused Shreyansh Tiwari handled the technical development and maintenance of these fraudulent websites.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Ankit Mittal stated that the accused also promoted these fake portals using paid advertisements on social media platforms, including Facebook and other digital ad networks. Whenever users searched online for Kedarnath or Vaishno Devi helicopter bookings, these fraudulent websites appeared prominently in search results.
Once payments were made, the accused maintained contact with victims through phone calls, WhatsApp, and email. Investigators found that the gang also extracted additional money in the name of registration fees, verification charges, insurance fees, and refund processing costs.
In a particularly deceptive tactic, the accused used to send fake e-tickets to victims, giving them a false sense of confirmation. The fraud was usually discovered only when passengers attempted to verify their bookings with official helicopter service providers and found no record of their tickets.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Arvind Kumar, with a team led by Inspector Hansraj Swami. Police confirmed that the racket was active across 12 states, with victims reported from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, and several other regions.
Authorities believe the group systematically exploited high demand and limited availability of helicopter tickets for popular pilgrimage routes, making it easier to lure unsuspecting devotees into paying money under urgency and emotional pressure.
During raids, police recovered eight mobile phones, two laptops, one iPad, multiple ATM cards, and several digital devices containing crucial evidence. The investigation also revealed that the fraud proceeds were routed through multiple bank accounts to avoid detection and tracking.
Police have managed to freeze ₹20,328 belonging to the complainant. The alleged mastermind Shreyansh Tiwari was arrested from Greater Noida, while the other two accused were arrested from Bihar. Further investigation is underway to trace additional victims and uncover the full financial trail of the racket.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain cautious while booking travel or pilgrimage services online. They advised users to rely only on official websites, avoid clicking on social media advertisements blindly, and verify website authenticity before making any payment, especially when dealing with high-demand services like helicopter bookings for religious destinations.
