Five-member Bihar cybercrime gang arrested for ₹3.5 crore fertiliser franchise fraud
Adilabad police arrest five Bihar-based cybercriminals who defrauded victims of ₹3.5 crore through fake fertiliser franchise website. 498 complaints linked
Jainath police in Adilabad district have arrested five members of an inter-State cybercrime gang who allegedly defrauded victims of approximately ₹3.5 crore by posing as franchisors of a fertiliser company, with investigators linking them to 498 complaints nationwide.
The arrested men—Abhishek Kumar alias Sourav, Abinash Kumar, Ritesh Kumar (all 24), Ashutosh Kumar alias Bablu (33), and Nishu Kumar (25)—are all natives of Bihar. Police recovered 10 mobile phones and ₹70,000 in cash during the operation on Friday.
Fake franchise portal ensnared hundreds
The gang created a fraudulent website offering fertiliser company franchises and harvested personal data including Aadhaar and PAN details, photographs and bank account information from applicants. They then extracted payments in instalments under the guise of service charges, licence fees and trade transfer fees, said Adilabad Superintendent of Police Akhil Mahajan.
Telangana recorded around 90 complaints against the accused, while the remainder came from other States. The group also allegedly ran a parallel loan scheme that cheated hundreds of people out of lakhs of rupees.
Trail began with Adilabad victim
The arrests followed a detailed probe into a case registered at Jainath police station. Ganesh, a resident of Mandagada village in Adilabad district, lost ₹3,85,725 after the accused promised him a fertiliser company franchise. When they stopped responding to his calls and WhatsApp messages after receiving the money, he approached police.
Further investigation uncovered that the gang had invested approximately ₹8 lakh of the alleged fraud proceeds in bank accounts and stock market shares, which have now been frozen as per procedure, Mr. Mahajan said.
Source: The Hindu
Frequently asked questions
What was the nature of the fraud committed by the arrested gang?
The gang created a fraudulent website offering fertiliser company franchises. They collected personal data including Aadhaar, PAN details, photographs and bank account information from applicants, then extracted payments in instalments under the guise of service charges, licence fees and trade transfer fees.
How many people were defrauded and how much money was stolen?
Approximately ₹3.5 crore was defrauded from victims across 498 complaints nationwide. Telangana recorded around 90 complaints, with the remainder coming from other States.
Who were the arrested members and where are they from?
Five members were arrested: Abhishek Kumar alias Sourav, Abinash Kumar, and Ritesh Kumar (all 24), Ashutosh Kumar alias Bablu (33), and Nishu Kumar (25). All are natives of Bihar.
How was the gang discovered?
The investigation began after Ganesh, a resident of Mandagada village in Adilabad district, lost ₹3,85,725 after being promised a fertiliser company franchise. When the accused stopped responding after receiving payment, he approached police, leading to the detailed probe that uncovered the gang's activities.
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