Surat cybercrime police arrest wanted fraudster in ₹1.71 crore ‘digital arrest’ scam

The Surat cybercrime police have arrested a wanted cyber fraudster at Delhi airport just as he was preparing to flee to Russia, marking a major breakthrough in a ₹1.71 crore ‘digital arrest’ scam that targeted a senior citizen in December 2024, according to reports.

The accused, identified as Shankar Chaudhary (37), had been reportedly absconding for nearly a year and was wanted for allegedly supplying mule bank accounts used to siphon off the defrauded funds. 

He is the sixth person to be arrested in connection with the case.

Police reportedly said that Chaudhary had been evading arrest since his role became known during the investigation. Recently, he had reportedly begun enquiring about relocating to Russia and managed to obtain a visa through an agent. 

Unaware that a lookout circular (LOC) had been issued against him, Chaudhary attempted to leave the country from Delhi, where he was intercepted and arrested by a team from the Surat cybercrime branch, as per reports.

Investigators revealed that Chaudhary had earlier travelled to Dubai with co-accused Rameshwar Suthar, where he allegedly came into contact with an international cybercrime syndicate. After returning to India, he is believed to have arranged mule bank accounts for the group in return for commission.

The case relates to a December 2024 incident in which fraudsters contacted a senior citizen and falsely claimed that a SIM card and bank account linked to his Aadhaar had been used in a money-laundering case. The victim was allegedly threatened with severe consequences and placed under a so-called ‘digital arrest’.

Police said the fraudsters sent forged letters purportedly issued by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), coercing the victim into transferring ₹1.71 crore.

Prior to Chaudhary’s arrest, five other accused — Mukesh Patel, Mehul Patel, Dungarsinh Rajput, Kesarsinh Devda and Rameshwar Suthar — had been taken into custody.

Chaudhary was reportedly produced before a court and remanded to three days of police custody for further interrogation as the investigation continues.