NEW DELHI: Once a decorated national-level shooter, Himanshu Chauhan moved easily across cities and social circles. Investigators now say that same mobility helped place him at the centre of a sprawling cyber-fraud network that siphoned lakhs of rupees through layered mule accounts across India
From Shooting Ranges to Crime Branch Custody
Himanshu Chauhan, known in sporting circles as a national-level shooter with medals at state and national championships, was arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch for his alleged role in a cyber fraud operation valued at more than ₹40 lakh. Police officials said Chauhan, a resident of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, was not a peripheral participant but a crucial intermediary in an organised syndicate that targeted victims across multiple states.
The arrest followed an FIR in which a complainant alleged being cheated of ₹40.27 lakh through a mix of fake online gaming platforms and fraudulent stock trading and IPO investment schemes. Investigators said the victim was induced to transfer money via IMPS, NEFT and UPI channels. On June 20 last year alone, ₹8 lakh was credited into a mule Axis Bank account linked to the racket.
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According to police, Chauhan leveraged his personal network to embed himself within the fraud operation, acting as a trusted connector between account holders and higher-level cyber operators.
Following the Money Trail Across States
The case gathered momentum after investigators mapped the financial trail using inputs from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). Analysis of NCRP data later revealed at least 40 complaints and two FIRs registered in Bengaluru and Mumbai against the same bank account, underlining the pan-India footprint of the operation.
Police said Chauhan was arrested after a multi-state operation based on this financial trail mapping. A team from the Delhi Police Cyber Cell conducted discreet surveillance at multiple locations in Agra after Chauhan allegedly changed locations repeatedly to evade arrest. Using real-time technical inputs and ground intelligence, officers eventually tracked and apprehended him.
During questioning, Chauhan allegedly confirmed his role as an intermediary in the fraud network, according to DCP (Crime) Aditya Gautam.
The Architecture of Mule Accounts
Crime Branch officers described the racket as operating through a layered network of mule bank accounts, designed to rapidly move and disperse money and make detection difficult. Sustained questioning of previously arrested accused revealed that Chauhan played a key role in sourcing these accounts.
Investigators said he allegedly persuaded individuals to allow the use of their bank accounts in return for commissions of around ₹1 lakh per account. These accounts were then used to receive funds from victims before the money was routed onward through multiple layers.
“He acted as a vital link between people who provided mule accounts and higher-level cyber operators,” an officer said.
An Expanding Investigation
According to police, Chauhan would pass on the details of mule accounts to another associate based in Agra, who handled the onward routing and layering of funds to obscure the money trail. Efforts are now underway to trace and arrest this associate and identify other members of the syndicate.
Police said they are continuing efforts to identify additional mule accounts, trace the complete money trail, coordinate with other state police departments on linked cases, and recover the proceeds of crime.
