No bail for 63-yr-old in Mumbai's Rs 3 crore digital arrest scam case

Thane: A sessions court in Thane rejected the bail plea of a 63-year-old man accused in a sophisticated digital arrest fraud that duped an anaesthetist of Rs 3.04 crore between Aug and Sept 2024.

Additional sessions judge R.S. Bhakare dismissed the application in its recent order, citing the serious nature of the cybercrime and international money laundering connections involving Pakistani entities.

The elaborate scam began when the complainant, a consultant anaesthetist, received a fake courier call on Aug 13, 2024. Three fraudsters impersonated customs officials and a CBI officer, claiming her parcel contained drugs, a fake passport, and credit cards.

Under the pretext of a "digital arrest," they coerced her to transfer Rs 3.04 crore through five RTGS transactions to clear fabricated money laundering and trafficking charges.

Court records reveal this accused, who is the chairman of a Co-op Credit Society, received Rs 82.4 lakh in his other bank account. He allegedly converted this to cash on a commission basis, which was then used to purchase USDT cryptocurrency from Dubai operators before being transferred to Pakistani handlers.

Despite the accused's counsel citing his cardiac condition requiring medical supervision post-angioplasty in 2023, the court found insufficient current medical evidence. "The medical reports are outdated and don't establish ongoing health complications requiring bail," Judge Bhakare observed.

The court, while rejecting the bail, pointed out that "Prima facie it appears that the offence is spread across the borders. Investigation is in progress, detailed investigation is required in such types of offences."