New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at seven locations across Odisha and Rajasthan and arrested three accused, as part of its investigation into a Rs 2.07-crore ‘digital arrest’ scam in which a retired public servant was allegedly coerced into transferring funds under the threat of fabricated legal action, a statement said Friday.
According to the agency statement, the searches were conducted June 30 in connection with the case, which is being investigated pursuant to directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The CBI had registered the case March 25 after allegations surfaced that cyber fraudsters posing as law enforcement and regulatory officials had intimidated a retired government employee into transferring Rs 2.07 crore through a series of transactions.
The accused have been identified as Bibekananda Dixit and Jayant Kumar Acharya, both residents of Baleshwar in Odisha, and Kanhaiya Lal of Rajasthan’s Nagaur.
According to investigators, the accused were actively involved in layering and transferring the proceeds of crime through multiple bank accounts to conceal the origin of the funds and facilitate their movement within the cyber fraud network.
The probe revealed that the defrauded amount was ultimately routed into a bank account opened in the name of a trust.
The accused allegedly played a crucial role in managing and dispersing the funds.