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.
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Boards barring non-Hindus at Har ki Pauri come up in Uttarakhand
Haridwar (PTI): Amid demands to declare the Haridwar Kumbh area in Uttarakhand a Hindu zone and restrict entry to non-Hindus at all religious places and Ganga ghats within it, signs reading 'Non-Hindu prohibited area' were put up at Har Ki Pauri on Friday.
The Ganga Sabha, the organisation that manages and maintains Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding ghats, has put up these signs on all entry points to the area, including on bridge railings and pillars.
However, the main bathing ghat of Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding area are already restricted for non-Hindus according to the Haridwar Municipal Act of 1916.
These signs were put up after a video went viral three days ago showing two young men wearing Kandura (traditional Arab attire) roaming in the Har Ki Pauri area. However, it was later revealed that these two young men were Hindus and had come to make a video for their YouTube channel.
The Sabha has demanded that all religious places, temples, and Ganga ghats in the entire Haridwar Kumbh area be restricted for non-Hindus before the 'Ardh Kumbh' next year, a demand that the Uttarakhand government is also seriously considering.
Following the Kandura incident, the Sabha had also appealed to officials of government departments, other organisations, and media houses not to appoint their non-Hindu employees in this area. They stated that this was necessary to maintain the sanctity and purity of the area.
Regarding the installation of the new signs, Ganga Sabha president Nitin Gautam told PTI, "According to the Haridwar Municipal Bylaws of 1916, the entry of non-Hindus into the Har Ki Pauri area is completely prohibited. This sign has been put up to inform everyone about this bylaw."
He said that this step has been taken to publicly share information about the law and traditions, so that the sanctity of the pilgrimage site is maintained and no confusion or controversy arises.
Haridwar Municipal Commissioner Nandan Kumar also stated that the 1916 bylaws prohibit the entry of non-Hindus into the Har Ki Pauri area.
