Man arrested in ₹31 lakh APK-based e-challan fraud case in Ahmedabad

The Cyber Cell of Crime Branch has arrested a man allegedly linked to a cyber fraud racket that duped a victim of more than ₹31.42 lakh by sending a malicious APK file under the guise of checking an RTO e-challan.

The accused has been identified as Dhanshyam Bhupatbhai Baraiya (29), a resident of Hirabagh-Varachha in Surat.

According to police, the complainant received an APK file on WhatsApp from an unknown mobile number purportedly for checking an RTO e-challan. After downloading and opening the file, the victim was prompted to submit Aadhaar and PAN card details.

Investigators said the APK file enabled the fraudsters to gain unauthorised access to the complainant’s mobile phone, compromise the victim’s WhatsApp account, and subsequently siphon off ₹31.42 lakh from the complainant’s Yes Bank cash credit/current account through online transactions.

Following the complaint, the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police Station registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections of the Information Technology Act.

During the investigation, police said Baraiya’s financial links to the fraud network emerged through technical analysis and intelligence gathering.

According to investigators, Baraiya allegedly provided his credit card and related banking instruments to other individuals involved in the racket. Fraudulently obtained money was then allegedly routed through these accounts and used to repay personal loans taken against the credit cards, police said.

Officials suspect the accused acted as a financial facilitator for the wider cyber fraud syndicate.

Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the racket and trace the end beneficiaries of the siphoned funds.

Police have urged citizens not to download APK files or mobile applications received from unknown numbers and to verify all e-challan notices only through official government platforms.