Youth held from Gujarat for duping Kolkata man of 1.5 crore
Times of India | 13 July 2025
Kolkata: Bidhannagar Police on Friday arrested a 26-year-old man from Ahmedabad for his alleged role in a Rs 1.5-crore cryptocurrency investment fraud, registered in 2023. The accused, Harshik Mukeshbhai Patel, was apprehended from Chandkheda in Gandhinagar district in Gujarat. The accused is being brought to Kolkata on transit remand, granted by a Gandhinagar court.The arrest was made in connection with a case registered on Sept 15, 2023 at the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station based on a complaint filed by Aurobinda Maji, a 34-year-old resident of Kolkata. According to the complaint, Maji was duped by a fake cryptocurrency wallet website that falsely promised lucrative investment returns.The fraud, police said, was carried out under the guise of cryptocurrency trading and involved multiple bank accounts to siphon off the funds. The fraudsters operated a well-designed, professional-looking online platform that mimicked the interface of legitimate crypto wallets and trading sites. The website offered users a chance to invest in various cryptocurrencies, assuring them of guaranteed profits ranging from 10% to 25% within days.Investigators traced a portion of the defrauded amount — over Rs 2 lakh—to an IDFC First Bank account held by Patel. The money, credited at the Layer 2 stage, was withdrawn through ATM transactions shortly after the deposit, officials said.During Patel's arrest, police seized undisclosed articles believed to be linked to the financial transactions. "We believe Patel may be part of a broader network engaged in similar digital investment scams and we are continuing the probe to track additional beneficiaries and accomplices," said a senior officer of Bidhannagar Commissionerate.