ED arrests Delhi man for 'cheating' US woman of Rs 3.3 crore
New Delhi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate has arrested a Delhi-based man under the anti-money laundering law in connection with a cyber fraud with a US citizen, who was allegedly duped of more than Rs 3.3 crore, official sources said on Tuesday.
Lakshay Vij, 33, a resident of the Dilshad Garden area, was taken into custody by the federal probe agency on Monday night under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
Vij was produced before a local court which sent him to ED custody till July 28.
The sources said the accused is being investigated in a cyber fraud case linked to the alleged duping of the US woman, Lisa Roth.
The money laundering case stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR registered in July 2023.
According to the CBI FIR, Roth's laptop was allegedly hacked and a number flashed on her screen. When she called the number, a person pretending to be an agent from Microsoft responded and asked her to transfer her investment of USD 4,00,000 (more than Rs 3.3 crore as per the current exchange rate) from her bank account to a cryptocurrency wallet.
When Roth logged into her crypto account after a few days, she found it empty, according to the ED. She then filed a complaint with the local authorities who sent the case details to India and the CBI filed a case.
The ED filed the money laundering case in December last year and said Vij and another person were the "masterminds" of the alleged fraud perpetrated against the US citizen.
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Karnataka launches India’s first digital grievance system for gig workers
Bengaluru: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, the Karnataka government has launched a digital grievance redressal system for gig workers to provide structured support and protection to platform-based workers.
According to The Hindu, the system, developed by the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers’ Board in collaboration with the Department of e-Governance, allows workers to file complaints through the Integrated Public Grievance Redressal System (IPGRS).
Gig workers can raise issues related to pay, working conditions, and platform-specific disputes. Complaints will be routed to the Internal Dispute Resolution Committees (IDRCs) of respective platforms and are expected to be resolved within a defined timeframe. This is expected to bring transparency and legal recourse for a workforce that has so far operated without a formal dispute resolution framework.
Under The Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act and Rules, every aggregator platform must constitute an Internal Dispute Resolution Committee (IDRC). Platforms such as Namma Yatri and Yulu have already integrated their IDRC contact details with the government portal.
Around 12 lakh gig workers have been identified in the state, and a unique identification system is being developed to remove duplicate entries. Officials said welfare schemes are also being designed based on type of work, working hours, and contribution.
Labour Minister Santosh Lad said that Karnataka, technology capital of the country, is leveraging this potential for worker welfare as well. “By launching this system, we are ensuring that the gig economy is no longer an informal space, but a structured one where every worker’s voice is heard,” he said.
“The schemes will vary based on the type of platforms. For example, cab rides are mostly undertaken by men whereas urban domestic activity is undertaken mostly by women. It may also be based on the contribution made, and the quantum of gig work done by a gig worker. Some gig workers work for more than eight hours while some may work on a few gigs. So, work load, nature of work, and time period of work could vary,” TH quoted G. Manjunath, Additional Labour Commissioner and CEO of the Board as saying.
“It has to be scientifically structured based on their effort and labour. We are working with experts, including academicians from Briston University, King’s College, and IISc, and other stake holders, including board members,” he said.
Officials added that aggregator platforms will be required to contribute 1 per cent towards worker welfare, with implementation beginning July 5.
