New Delhi, Dec 25 (UNI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Jalandhar Zonal Office, stated on Thursday that it recently conducted search operations at 11 locations across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Assam in connection with the ‘digital arrest’ case of S.P. Oswal, an eminent industrialist from Ludhiana.
Officials said that they have arrested one Rumi Kalitha, a key accused in the case, and various incriminating documents and digital devices were recovered and seized during the search proceedings.
The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by the Cyber Crime Police Station in Ludhiana under various provisions of the BNSS, 2023. Subsequently, nine more FIRs registered by various police authorities regarding cybercrime or digital arrests related to the same criminal group were also included in the investigation.
The ED investigation revealed that during the digital arrest of S. P. Oswal, fraudsters impersonating as officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation used forged official and judicial documents to force him to transfer Rs 7 crore into various accounts. Out of this amount, Rs 5.24 crore was recovered and transferred back to him. The remaining funds were transferred to various mule accounts held in the names of entities and individuals, such as labourers and delivery personnel, and were either further diverted or withdrawn in cash immediately.
The investigation also found that the amounts defrauded from victims were immediately diverted by the criminal group into various mule accounts.
The credentials of these accounts were used by accused Rumi Kalita in exchange for a certain percentage of the money as her share.
Various incriminating pieces of evidence gathered during the search showed that Kalitha was deeply involved in diverting and layering the proceeds of crime.
Earlier searches in the case had already led to the recovery and seizure of incriminating documents.
Further investigation into the matter is ongoing.
