Gujarat cops bust gang for cyber crimes involving Rs 719 cr; bank staff among 10 arrested
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Gujarat police has busted a gang and arrested 10 persons, including bank staff, for their alleged involvement in inter-state and international cyber crimes involving Rs 719 crore, officials said on Monday.
According to Gandhinagar's Cyber Centre of Excellence, the accused were involved in receiving cyber fraud money in mule bank accounts and converting them into cash and crypto currency before sending them to cyber crime syndicate gang members based in Dubai and having connections with Chinese gangs.
"Ten accused, including bank staff, were arrested by Cyber Centre of Excellence for their involvement in inter-state and international cyber crime cases involving Rs 719 crore," stated an official release.
"For their own financial gain, they used to deposit the stolen money of cyber crime victims across India into the mule bank accounts through various modus operandi and send it to the accused of cybercrime syndicate sitting in Dubai/China through cheque withdrawal, online apps, crypto transactions and angadia. Police used technical analysis to trace the cyber fraud," it said.
Police said a total of 1594 cyber frauds were committed by international and inter-state gangs in 26 states and six Union territories, including 300 in Maharashtra, 203 in Tamil Nadu, 194 in Karnataka, 128 in Telangana, 97 in Gujarat, 91 in Kerala, 88 in Uttar Pradesh, 74 in Delhi, 64 in Andhra Pradesh, 60 in West Bengal, 42 in Rajasthan and 253 in various other states.
A total of 719 crore from 1,447 cyber fraud cases across India was transferred into 110 mule bank accounts of Bhavnagar branch of Indusind Bank from 130 payee bank accounts, the release said.
Police said 1594 cyber crimes were committed by the gang in different states of the country, including investment fraud, digital fraud, UPI-related fraud, deposit fraud, loan fraud, part-time job fraud, task fraud, and vishing call fraud.
More than 30 crypto wallets and 14 mobile phones were seized from their possession, police added.
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Karnataka Governor gives assent to legislation against ‘honour killing’ in inter-caste marriages
Bengaluru: The government has brought into force the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the name of honour and tradition (Eva Nammava Eva Nammava) Act, 2026, intended to restrict ‘honour killings’ in inter-caste marriages.
According to The Indian Express, the legislation received assent from Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on April 9 and was officially notified in the state gazette on April 10. The law had been passed unanimously by the state legislature last month.
The Bill was proposed by the Congress government in the wake of caste-linked ‘honour killings’ in the state, including the December 21, 2025, murder near Hubli of a 20-year-old Lingayat woman by her father for marrying a man from another caste.
The phrase ‘Eva Nammava Eva Nammava’ in the title is in reference to the message of universal humanity that the Lingayat saint Basavanna espoused. Basavanna, who rebelled against the caste system to lay the foundation of the Lingayat faith system, an amalgamation of all castes, used the words meaning ‘he is a part of me’ to say all people are one.
Under the new law, crimes committed in the name of ‘honour’, including murder, assault, threats, and social boycott, are specifically addressed with stringent punishments. ‘Honour killing’ offences carry a minimum imprisonment of five years, while serious assaults attract at least three years in jail.
The new law defines the social boycott of inter-caste couples as forcible eviction to remote corners of villages, refusal to provide services, refusal to provide work, refusal to conduct business, denial of loans and admissions to schools, and makes it punishable.
In the case of ‘honour killings’ per se, the new law prescribes a minimum imprisonment of five years, and in the case of assaults, a prison term that is not less than three years for serious injury and two years for minor injuries.
The offences under the proposed law are cognisable and non-bailable, which means police can carry out arrests without court permissions after taking up a case.
The legislation follows several reported inter-caste relationship-related killings in Karnataka in 2025, including cases in Raichur and another involving 18-year-old Kavita.
The law to protect the freedom of choice in marriages is among several social bills that the Congress government has brought out in line with its policies for the backward and downtrodden communities in the state.
