Odisha: UP man arrested in Rs 71.74 lakh online fraud
Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police have arrested an individual from Uttar Pradesh for his alleged involvement in an online investment fraud amounting to Rs 71.74 lakh, a senior official said on Wednesday.
The accused, Harshit Kant Pandey (26), is a resident of Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. Pandey was arrested in connection with a case (309/24) registered based on a complaint filed by Sujata Sahoo on behalf of her sister Deepika Sahoo, of Nandankanan area in Bhubaneswar.
Deepika, who is currently residing abroad, came into contact with the accused fraudsters in 2024 during her stay in Bhubaneswar through an advertisement on social media platforms.
A senior police official stated that the accused lured the victim into investing her hard-earned money with promises of higher returns, thereby committing the offence of cheating and misappropriation.
The fraudsters instructed the complainant, from time to time, to invest large sums in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), claiming she would receive higher returns.
Deepika alleged that she had invested Rs 71,74,664 into various accounts as directed by the cyber fraudsters.
Following an examination of the money trail, call detail records, and other clues, a team from the Cyber Crime and Economic Offence Police Station nabbed Pandey from his hideout in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday.
He was later produced before a local court in Kanpur and brought to Odisha on transit remand.
On Wednesday, the accused was produced before a court in Bhubaneswar, which remanded him to judicial custody.
During verification, the Commissionerate Police found that Pandey had earlier been arrested by Haryana Police in connection with another cybercrime case.
The police also confirmed that a total of 65 complaints have been registered against Pandey on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) for his alleged involvement in several cybercrime cases under investigation.