Kanpur: Police have busted an Rs 80 crore interstate cyber fraud ring allegedly run by a gang led by a man known as Digital King. With the help of Naubasta police and Lucknow STF, investigators traced the money trail to an account in Delhi operated by Karan Kasera, identified as Digital King, and his aide Gulshan Kumar, also known as Kaira.
Money trail traced through multiple accounts
The case was registered at Naubasta police station after a complainant received a Facebook link on his mobile phone inviting him to join an equity group for share trading. After clicking the link, he was added to a WhatsApp group named Shraddha Shakti, where he was allegedly persuaded to invest by being shown high returns. He transferred Rs 7 lakh in multiple instalments before the app was shut down and the money was siphoned off.
He later filed a complaint on the NCRP portal and lodged an FIR at Naubasta police station. During the investigation, police found that the defrauded amount had been transferred through various bank accounts and ultimately reached an account in New Delhi by the fifth layer. The inquiry found more than 600 complaints against this bank account on the NCRP portal nationwide, while 13 FIRs had been registered in different districts of Uttar Pradesh.
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Arrests in Punjab and wider losses uncovered
Police said about Rs 26 crore was defrauded in the registered cases, while the suspect account in Delhi, belonging to Ajay Kumar, recorded transactions of around Rs 80 crore over three months. Earlier, one person was digitally arrested and about Rs 35 lakh was returned to that person from the suspect account.
Considering the seriousness of the case, the Naubasta police team took action in the Abohar area of Fazilka district in Punjab. Investigators found that the account was opened in the name of Ajay Kumar, a cobbler, but was allegedly operated by his associates Karan Kasera and Gulshan Kumar, known as Digital King and Kaira. Kasera and Kumar were arrested on Saturday.
Digital evidence points to organised network
Ajay had earlier been arrested by Delhi Police and sent to jail. Police said Kasera and Kumar admitted to defrauding people by promising to double or triple their money through trading on Telegram and WhatsApp. Investigators found that the defrauded money was moved through various accounts up to the fifth or sixth layer to avoid detection.
Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal said analysis of digital evidence from seized iPhones revealed several WhatsApp groups used to operate the cyber fraud network through Indian and foreign numbers. Investigators found that the fraud money was withdrawn in cash using cheques and ATMs and spent on personal expenses. The role of bank employees in transactions involving the accused accounts also came under suspicion, and notices were issued by the Income Tax Department. Further investigation is underway to identify other people involved, examine bank accounts and analyse digital evidence.
