Ludhiana-Assam police joint operation cracks ₹7 Cr cyber fraud, 2 held in Guwahati

Guwahati, Sept 30: The Ludhiana Police, in a joint operation with its Assam counterpart, arrested two individuals in connection with a cybercrime case in Guwahati.

Touted as the largest-ever recovery in India’s cybercrime history, the team seized around Rs. 5.25 crore along with ATM cards and mobile phones from the accused.

The accused, identified as Atanu Choudhary and Anand Kumar Choudhary, were apprehended from Dispur area, the police said.

The whole incident came to the fore after a textile industrialist and a Padma Bhushan awardee, SP Oswal, filed a complaint at a Ludhiana police station, alleging that a "gang of fraudsters" had duped him of ₹7 crore.

Reportedly, the duo posing as fake Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers fabricated an online Supreme Court hearing, used false arrest warrants, and a two-day “digital surveillance” operation to deceive Oswal. 

Based on the complaint, the Ludhiana police launched an investigation and, after a month-long effort, arrested the suspects in Guwahati with the assistance of Assam Police.

Ludhiana Police Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal stated that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining seven gang members, all of whom are believed to be from Assam and West Bengal.

The scammers, leveraging their digital expertise, intimidated Oswal with fake arrest warrants allegedly issued by the Enforcement Directorate. They also presented a forged Supreme Court order directing Oswal to transfer ₹7 crore to a fraudulent “Secret Supervision Account”.

To further enhance their credibility, the gang staged a fake online Supreme Court hearing and later, sent a counterfeit court order to Oswal via WhatsApp.

Although the scammers initially succeeded in obtaining a substantial amount of money from Oswal, authorities managed to recover ₹5.25 crore and return it to his bank accounts.

Following the successful operation, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) appreciated the Assam Police’s support in cracking the case.