The son of former Kolkata Police Commissioner and current Director (Security) Manoj Verma, was allegedly duped of Rs 30,000 while searching for paying guest accommodation in Delhi through an online portal.

According to police, Piyush Verma, a college student, came across a website offering PG rooms and, after selecting a property, was asked to transfer Rs 30,000 as advance payment.

“A college student, Piyush Verma, had been searching online for PG accommodation in Delhi when he came across a website offering several rental options. After selecting a property, he contacted the website authorities and was allegedly asked to pay Rs 30,000 in advance online to confirm the booking. He transferred the amount to a bank account provided on the website. After the amount was paid the person couldn’t be contacted,” said an official.

Unable to recover the money, a complaint was lodged and Kolkata Police initiated an investigation.

Cyber police traced the transaction to a bank account in Odisha and arrested a youth, Rakesh Pradhan, from Bhubaneswar on February 4. On Wednesday, Pradhan was produced before Bankshall Court, where he was remanded to six days of police custody till February 17.

“Using the bank account details linked to the transaction, we traced the accused to Bhubaneswar and arrested him on Tuesday. He is being questioned to ascertain his role and whether others are involved,” the officer said.

Police said interrogation of the accused may reveal links to a larger cyber fraud network.

However, Pradhan’s defence lawyer Shankhajit Lal Mitra questioned the jurisdiction, stating, “The complainant was defrauded in Delhi, but he filed the complaint in Kolkata, because his father is the former Police Commissioner. Can a complaint be filed this way?”