Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai
Mumbai, May 28: A special court in Mumbai has denied bail to two residents of West Tripura arrested for allegedly supplying activated WhatsApp accounts to Cambodia-based cyber fraudsters involved in “digital arrest” scams targeting Indian citizens.
Additional Sessions Judge Umesh Sorte rejected the bail pleas of Shantanu Sen and Subrata Barma, observing that the allegations were serious in nature and appeared to be part of an organised cybercrime network. The court also expressed concern that the accused could hamper the ongoing investigation if released on bail.
The two accused were arrested on March 8 following a complaint registered by the West Zone Cyber Police in connection with an online fraud case in which a Mumbai woman allegedly lost Rs 33.5 lakh.
According to police, the victim began receiving calls in December 2024 from fraudsters posing as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the cybercrime department and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The callers allegedly told the woman that her Aadhaar card and bank accounts were linked to money laundering activities and threatened her with arrest. To make the claims appear genuine, the fraudsters reportedly shared fake official documents and videos featuring a person dressed in police uniform.
Fearing legal action, the woman allegedly transferred her savings to multiple bank accounts provided by the fraudsters under the pretext of “verification”. She later realised she had been cheated after the accused persons stopped responding to her calls.
During the hearing, the accused claimed they had been falsely implicated and argued that there was no direct connection between them and the complainant or the defrauded amount.
However, the prosecution informed the court that the duo had allegedly assisted Cambodia-based cyber criminals by supplying activated and logged-in WhatsApp devices used for carrying out digital arrest scams.
Police further stated that WhatsApp chats recovered during the investigation indicated that the accused received hefty commissions and financially benefited from the cyber fraud operations.
While rejecting the bail pleas, the court observed that evidence collected during the investigation prima facie suggested the involvement of the accused in operating WhatsApp accounts linked to Indian SIM cards for organised cybercrime activities.