AMBIKAPUR: Police in Sarjuga district have arrested a man accused of facilitating cybercrime by opening a fake bank account, later used by fraudsters to launder over ₹22 lakh. The arrest follows a complaint by the account holder who claimed his identity and banking details were misused without consent.
According to the Kotwali police, the arrested individual, identified as Anish Keshari, 32, a resident of Joda Peepal, Kedarpara, allegedly deceived his relative Anshu Gupta into opening a bank account under the pretext of helping him receive funds from the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Gupta was persuaded to hand over his bank passbook, ATM card, cheque book, and registered mobile SIM card.
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₹22 Lakh Moved Across States Without the Victim’s Knowledge
The complaint was filed on July 26 after Anshu Gupta realized that, despite repeated requests, Keshari had not returned the banking documents. Investigations revealed that the bank account had been used for financial transactions totalling ₹22 lakh across various parts of the country, without the account holder’s knowledge.
During interrogation, Keshari confessed to selling the account to cybercriminals for ₹2,000. He further admitted to opening another mule account under the name of a worker at his shop, which was also handed over to the same fraudsters.
Police Continue Search for Other Accused
The Kotwali police have registered the case under sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Authorities are still searching for other individuals involved in the wider cyber fraud ring.
The investigative team comprised Sub-Inspector Sampat Potai, Assistant Sub-Inspector Vijay Gupta, ASI Ajit Mishra from the Cyber Cell, Head Constable Bhojraj Paswan, and constables Anuj Jaiswal and Ramesh Rajwade. They played a crucial role in unearthing the operation and tracking the financial flow.
Further investigation is ongoing to trace the larger network behind the fraudulent transactions.