2 from Haryana held for 25L digital arrest fraud in Salt Lake
Times of India | 17 April 2025
Kolkata: Two men from Sirsa in Haryana — Kuldeep Singh (25) and Monu (36) — were arrested for alleged cyber fraud, in connection with a digital fraud investigation, cops said on Wednesday. The digital arrest fraud, targeting a female senior citizen of Salt Lake, took place last Nov, with cops stating that the total amount lost was close to Rs 25 lakh. Initial probe showed the accused received close to Rs 1 crore as crime proceeds through digital arrest frauds till their arrest.
"The suspects were initially presented in a local court in Haryana to obtain transit remand before being transferred to Bidhannagar jurisdiction," said an officer, adding that the two accused received crime proceeds through direct cheque transfers.
The Bidhannagar court granted police custody of the suspects, allowing investigators to proceed with their interrogation. The case involves allegations of digital arrest, a growing concern in cybercrime investigations.
Sources indicate that the cyber crime unit tracked similar patterns of digital fraud in recent months from Haryana and Rajasthan. "We believe that the accused is involved in several similar cases in Bidhannagar and Kolkata," said a police source.
"While digital arrests and Telegram frauds are now our biggest headaches, banking fraud using crypto investment as bait, sextortion frauds, and monetary frauds using fake apps are also reported in large numbers. But digital arrests victims, in most cases, are senior citizens," said an officer.
Overall, Bengal contributes to around 2% of all cybercrimes across India, with the numbers estimated to be between 2,100 and 2,300 in 2022-24 compared to 1,749 in 2019-2021. "In Kolkata alone, digital arrest and Telegram fraud contribute to around 250-odd cases since 2024," said an officer.
"Public awareness is the most important factor in preventing such cases. There are some basics that everyone must follow, which is why we are trying to interact with citizens at community centres, markets, Eden Gardens, and even school gates. The basics are to download the latest security patch for smartphones and block spam callers. Don't download loan-related apps; download apps only from trusted sources. Beware of callers who lure you into installing mobile applications for KYC, etc," said a DCP.