Digital arrest: Uttarakhand STF busts cybercrime racket, arrests main accused in Bengaluru
Dehradun (PTI): Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has busted a cybercrime racket by arresting the main accused from Bengaluru, an official said.
The prime accused has been identified as Kiran Kumar K S (31), a resident of Yelahanka, Bengaluru.
Kiran and his associate defrauded various people in Uttarakhand through digital arrest, the official said on Thursday.
STF Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Navneet Singh said that the gang was exposed during an investigation into a case in which cybercriminals defrauded people in Dehradun and Nainital districts of Rs 87 lakh by posing as law enforcement officers.
He said that the gang, posing as officers of the Greater Mumbai police force and the CBI, kept the victims under digital arrest for approximately 48 hours through video and voice calls on WhatsApp.
Singh stated that 24 complaints have been filed in various states across the country against the bank account used by the accused in the fraud, and suspicious transactions amounting to over ₹9 crore were found to have been made using the account.
He stated that a Dehradun resident had filed a complaint alleging that in August-September this year, unknown individuals digitally arrested him and forced him to deposit Rs 59 lakh online into various bank accounts.
Investigation revealed that Rs 41 lakh of the Rs 59 lakh was transferred on August 30 to a Yes Bank account in the name of Rajeshwari GAK Enterprises.
Its address was found to be in Bengaluru, while the mobile number associated with the account was found to be registered in the name of Kiran Kumar.
Kiran Kumar was subsequently interrogated in Bengaluru and, based on evidence recovered from him, including bank documents, a mobile phone, the SIM card used in the crime, and a laptop, he was arrested.
The investigation also revealed that Kiran Kumar has previously been booked in several cases at the Delhi and Kumaon Cyber Police Stations, as well as in other states across the country.
In addition, Rajeshwari Rani (40), an account holder of the controversial firm Rajeshwari GAK Enterprises, has also been served a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
