New Delhi: Two men have been arrested in connection with a Rs 6 lakh “digital arrest” scam that began with a threatening WhatsApp video call and led Delhi Police to uncover a much larger cyber-fraud trail. The probe revealed a bank account that allegedly handled transactions worth nearly Rs 50 lakh and was linked to 10 cybercrime complaints from different states.The investigation took cops from Delhi to Kathua in Jammu & Kashmir and Bhilwara in Rajasthan, while also uncovering a Cambodia-linked digital trail pointing to a suspected interstate network with an overseas connection.DCP (South) Anant Mittal said the complainant was allegedly “digitally arrested” during a WhatsApp video call by men posing as law enforcement officials and was coerced into transferring Rs 6 lakh.Following the complaint, an e-FIR was registered at Cyber South police station under sections 308 (extortion), 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 319 (cheating by personation) and 340 (using a forged document or electronic record as genuine) of the BNS.Financial and technical analysis revealed that the cheated amount was first credited to a private bank account controlled by Mukesh Kumhar of Bhilwara. Police said Rs 5.5 lakh was then transferred to another bank account operated by Ritish Kumar Mehra of Kathua.Following the money trail, police arrested Mehra from Kathua and Kumhar from Bhilwara. Both accused have no previous criminal record, police said.Further scrutiny of Kumhar’s profile led investigators to another bank account that had recorded transactions totalling approximately Rs 50 lakh and was linked to 10 complaints on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) from different states, police said.Technical analysis also revealed that online communication allegedly used in the fraud was linked to Cambodia. The overseas digital trail is being analysed further, officers said.The accused allegedly employed the “digital arrest” modus operandi, impersonating law enforcement officials and intimidating the victim over WhatsApp to make the transfer. The proceeds were then routed through beneficiary bank accounts operated across different states.Police seized three mobile phones, four ATM/debit cards, five cheque books and five rubber stamps from the accused.
