Madhya Pradesh Police Have Arrested Seven Members Of A Fraud Gang Led By A Youth From Jodhpur Who Was Operating From Dubai

Madhya Pradesh Police have arrested a gang involved in defrauding people through the Telegram app in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The leader of this gang is a resident of Jodhpur but operates from Dubai, orchestrating a large-scale scam that lured victims with promises of lucrative returns on investments made through the app. The investigation revealed that several young individuals were facilitating the transfer of money obtained through fraudulent activities.

The police launched their operation after multiple victims filed complaints about being cheated. The investigation led the authorities to find seven individuals associated with the gang in Jodhpur. Following their arrests, the police discovered that the operation extended beyond Jodhpur, implicating youths from Jaipur and Neemuch. The investigation further led to freezing 119 bank accounts linked to the scheme, which had seen transactions exceeding ₹4 crore within a month. Authorities suspect around 500 more such accounts may be opened in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. According to police sources, the primary leader of the gang has been identified as Prakash Sharma, a Jodhpur resident.

In addition to the arrests, the police recovered significant evidence from the accused, including ₹11.18 lakh in cash, 44 ATM cards from various banks, 10 checkbooks, 11 passbooks, three CPUs, a laptop, 28 mobile phones, two ATM swiping machines, eight SIM cards, and different cash deposit slips. This evidence underscored the extensive and organized nature of the operation.

The investigation uncovered that the fraudulent activities began when a complainant, Piyush Kumar, reported suspicious transactions linked to his bank account. Kumar stated that around two to three months prior, his acquaintances, Nikhil Rao and Shubham, visited him, claiming they needed a bank account for a new business venture. Nikhil informed Piyush that his own civil number in the bank needed to be fixed and requested Piyush to open an account in his name, handing over the passbook, ATM card, and SIM card linked to the account. Piyush agreed and opened an account at UCO Bank’s Neemuch branch, providing the banking kit to Nikhil and Shubham.

However, Piyush later discovered that his account had been flagged for illegal transactions and put on hold by authorities. When he visited the bank to seek clarification, he was informed that fraudulent activities involved his account. This prompted the police to register a case and form an investigation team.

As the investigation gained momentum, the police arrested two critical suspects before Diwali: Manish Vishnoi from Jodhpur and Shubham Bhatt from Jaipur. Under interrogation, Shubham revealed that he had opened multiple bank accounts in the names of various people, including Nikhil Rao and Gajraj Singh, by promising them commissions. He handed over the bank kits, passbooks, and SIM cards to Manish Vishnoi, who worked at a Forex Money Exchange office in Jodhpur. Manish, in turn, paid Shubham ₹25,000 per account.

Manish’s statements shed light on the broader network, revealing that he, along with associates Vinod Vishnoi, Surendra (alias Sundar) Vishnoi, Mukesh Vishnoi, Tarun Vyas, Bhupendra Singh, and a juvenile, were involved in acquiring fake bank accounts. These accounts were used to deposit funds obtained from victims lured into investing through the Telegram app with promises of substantial, quick profits. The operator, based overseas, managed the deposits, and the group would withdraw money using ATMs, internet banking, and other online platforms.

The cash would then be handed over to Tarun Vyas and Bhupendra Singh, who facilitated the conversion of the money into smaller sums deposited into additional fake accounts as directed by the operator. This complex web of transactions and the use of intermediaries in various cities highlight the far-reaching scope of the scam, with operations extending across state borders and involving both digital and traditional banking tools.

The police’s success in exposing the scam and arresting the key members has shed light on the increasing misusage of technology and online platforms to perpetrate fraud. The case continues to expand as authorities work to identify more accounts and collaborators involved in this elaborate scheme.

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