Digital arrest mastermind with 930 cases held in Delhi
Times of India | 28 February 2025
Kolkata: The Kolkata Police Cyber Cell has arrested Yogesh Dua, a notorious cyber crook, who has 930 ‘digital arrest' fraud cases against him. While Dua was caught in Delhi, the Bidhannagar Police rounded up another digital arrest fraud accused, Gondaliya Dipen Vinodbhai (27), from Surat in Gujarat. In both the cases, police said, the accused intimidated the victims by putting them under round-the-clock watch by forcing them to keep their Zoom connection on 24×7.
The cyber cell, which had been trying to trace Dua since June last year, traced him to Delhi. When KP moved a Delhi court for Dua's transit remand, it was rejected. Police moved the Delhi HC and on Thursday, got permission to bring him to Kolkata. But cops are unlikely to get Dua's custody till Friday as his counsel hinted they might move to a higher court to stall the remand.
Police said the Cybercrime PS registered a case under IT Act and IPC sections of fraud, cheating and forgery on June 17, 2024, based on a complaint by Debashree Dutta, from whom Rs 47 lakh was extorted. "She was told her documents and credentials had been used to send a parcel with contraband drugs, and for money laundering. Dutta got scared and, to clear her name, she started paying to different accounts, as instructed by the cyber crooks," said an officer. Following a money trail of Rs 7.4 lakh deposited by Dutta, cops carried out raids in Anandapur, Patuli and Narendrapur on Sept 29 and arrested eight men. Dua was the 12th person to be arrested in the case, with 11 others being arrested before him in a nationwide crackdown.
The Bidhannagar Police started looking for Vinodbhai following a complaint by a Salt Lake resident last month who was scared into paying Rs 1.7 crore. The victim liquidated his FD and paid in four transactions. "Vinodbhai had posed as a TRAI representative and threatened the victim that his number would be blocked in two hours. Soon, the victim got another call, and the person on the other side claimed to be from the Andheri PS in Mumbai. The victim was falsely told an arrest warramt had been issued against him for a fraud," said a Bidhannagar City Police officer. "Scared, the person paid Rs 1.7 crore. With the money, the accused bought gold worth Rs 25 lakh." Vinodbhai's accounts have been seized. "He will be in cop custody for eight days," an officer said.
Stay updated with breaking news, bank holidays and upcoming public holidays in march.