Delhi Police report in HC exposes hybrid digital arrest scam's international links
The Delhi Police has submitted a status report in the Delhi High Court concerning a hybrid digital arrest scam in which an elderly woman was forced to sell her property in south Delhi and pawn her jewellery while under digital arrest. The woman had moved the court seeking transfer of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), describing it as one of the 'evolving' cases due to its hybrid nature.
Kush Sharma, counsel for the victim, argued that the hybrid nature of the crime makes it the first documented case in India where a physical syndicate operated during an active digital arrest. "The police report shows that the syndicate operated through a decentralised structure with separate groups responsible for victim communication, mule account holders' recruitment and laundering of funds. The complexity of this hybrid crime makes it appropriate for CBI jurisdiction," Sharma said.
According to the police report, the investigation revealed monetary transactions running into multiple layers, with over ten bank accounts connected to first and second layer beneficiaries. The police tracked a phone number used to contact the suspect, Sushant, to an IP address based in Cambodia. The report noted that notices have been sent to account holders, and the police are awaiting details for some accounts.
The report also named Nannu Singh, who allegedly received funds as part of the transactions for his organisation 'Savitri Bai Fule Education Welfare Society'. Singh met at least six people who promised to help him 'raise funds' but disappeared after a transaction worth Rs 1 crore was made with his account. The group was allegedly involved in buying SIM cards and stayed at multiple hotels during the period of the scam, the report said.
Further, the report stated that Sushant received a call from a person named Nitin, claiming to be the victim's son, regarding the sale of property. Sushant told the police that he facilitated the property deal believing the caller to be the victim's son. He added that when he learned the victim had fallen prey to a digital scam, he accompanied her to the police station to file a complaint.
Sharma pointed out that the report does not mention what Sushant did with the money taken from the victim, which was first credited to her account but withdrawn the next day. "It is clear that the syndicate had been functioning at both digital and physical levels," he said.
He also noted that the CBI did not submit its response despite court notices in the last hearing. "CBI said that they have a threshold of Rs 10 crore and they don't take cases below that, but we have argued that this case is exceptional and requires CBI jurisdiction due to its complexity," he added.
The matter is next scheduled for hearing on August 27.
Background: The incident occurred in April when a 75-year-old woman living alone received a call from an unknown number. The callers, impersonating CBI officials, told her she was part of a money laundering case and that she had to deposit all her money and property with them, or her children living abroad would be expatriated to India. She transferred over Rs 3 lakh and pawned jewellery worth about Rs 5 lakh. The scamsters then told her a property dealer would visit her home to assist with the sale of her property. A man named Sushant Kumar visited her, took her property papers, and a sale agreement was signed with Anil Kapoor as the buyer and Praveen Chadha as witness.
