B'luru: Rajasthan gang busted for job fraud, cybercrime using student bank accounts
Bengaluru, Nov 15: Four members of a gang were arrested in Rajasthan for cheating people with fake job offers and engaging in cybercrime investment fraud using bank accounts opened in the names of college students, primarily from northern India, police said on Friday.
The accused, identified as Abhay Dhan Charan (19), Arvind Kumar (19), Pawan Bishnoi (18), and Sawai Singh (21), lured victims by promising part-time jobs at reputed companies, they added.
The arrests followed a complaint from a woman at CEN police station in Southeast Division, who was cheated of Rs 12,43,250 under the guise of securing her a part-time job. The money was deposited into a bank account held by a college student, which led authorities to uncover the gang's operation.
During the investigation, police discovered that the gang opened bank accounts in the names of college students.
They took possession of the students' passbooks, chequebooks, and other documents, using these accounts to facilitate fraudulent transactions.
Using technical surveillance, the police tracked down the suspects and arrested them from Udaipur and Jodhpur in Rajasthan.
Seized items included 19 mobile phones, two laptops, 20 SIM cards, 34 bank passbooks, and Rs 75,000 in cash, a senior police officer said.
"The gang targeted North Indian students studying in Bengaluru, offering Rs 2,000 as an incentive for opening bank accounts. Unaware of the fraudulent activities, the students allowed their accounts to be used by the gang. The fraudsters used these accounts to target people seeking part-time jobs or investment schemes, instructing victims to transfer money into the students’ accounts," he added.
The accused were in possession of the ATM cards, passbooks, and chequebooks of the bank accounts.
Once the money was deposited, the accused withdrew it and converted it into cryptocurrency, he said, adding, that further investigation is underway.
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Young woman from MP who shot to fame during Kumbh found to be minor, case registered against husband
Khargone (MP) (PTI): The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes on Friday confirmed that a young woman from Madhya Pradesh who became famous due to her viral videos during the 2025 Maha Kumbh has been found to be a minor after an inquiry.
Citing the findings of an inquiry panel set up by the commission, local BJP leaders alleged that her interfaith marriage in Kerala last month was a case of "love Jihad", and sought legal action.
While the panel had submitted its report in March, ST commission chairman Antar Singh Arya confirmed its findings to the PTI on Friday.
A case for alleged kidnapping and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has already been registered against her husband, a Muslim man, at Maheshwar on the basis of the inquiry findings, police said.
The girl gained national fame after her videos while selling garlands and rudraksha at the Maha Kumbh went viral on social media and also earned her a role in a film.
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes set up an inquiry panel after receiving a complaint on March 17 from Pratham Dubey, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, that she was a minor and was being exploited.
Maheshwar BJP MLA Rajkumar Mev and BJP mandal president Vikram Patel, armed with documents, told reporters on Friday that her marriage in Kerala was a case of "love Jihad" and she should be brought back home.
'Love jihad' is a term used by right-wing groups to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into marriage to convert them to Islam.
Police said an investigation is underway, and further action would be taken accordingly.
The girl, who belongs to the nomadic Pardhi community, got married at a temple in Kerala in March. The interfaith marriage drew angry reactions from rightwing Hindu groups.
Her family members and film director Sanoj Mishra -- who had offered her a film role after she became famous -- too alleged that it was 'love Jihad'.
As per the inquiry conducted by the ST commission, records at the Maheshwar government hospital showed the woman's date of birth as December 30, 2009 which meant she was 16 years and two months old at the time of marriage, said Dubey, the complainant.
On a complaint filed by her father, police registered a case against the girl's husband at Maheshwar police station on March 25 for alleged kidnapping and under the POCSO Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Police sources said that a separate case was also registered on March 24 under section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (taking a minor from lawful custody of guardian without their consent) based on the the commission's findings.
