MUMBAI: The West Regional Cyber Police have arrested a man for allegedly supplying bank accounts to cyber fraudsters who cheated an elderly Mumbai resident of ₹1.27 crore by posing as a senior CBI officer and threatening him with arrest in a fabricated case.
The accused has been identified as Parshuram Jagtap. He was arrested and produced before a court, police said, adding that he allegedly provided bank accounts used to route the defrauded money.
According to the police, the complainant, a retired central government employee residing on Juhu–Versova Link Road, received a call in October last year from a man identifying himself as Sandeep Rao, who claimed to be an officer from the Ashok Nagar police station in Bengaluru.
The caller told the complainant that a person arrested in a money-laundering case was found carrying an ATM passbook linked to the complainant’s account. He further claimed that a fraud amounting to ₹75 lakh had been committed in the complainant’s name and that an inquiry had been initiated.
The frauds warned that officers from the Delhi Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation were conducting a parallel probe and that the complainant could be arrested at any time. He also threatened that the complainant’s family could be attacked and his son could lose his job.
The victim was instructed not to share details of the inquiry with anyone, citing confidentiality and “national interest”. He was told to remain alone in a room and cooperate fully with the investigation. He was later informed that the inquiry would be conducted by a CBI officer named Daya Nayak.
Subsequently, the complainant was contacted by another person impersonating Daya Nayak, who claimed to be a CBI officer. During a video call, the imposter showed the complainant a forged FIR and arrest warrant, further intimidating him. The fraudster also threatened to freeze his bank accounts.
Taking advantage of the complainant’s age, the accused told him that he would not be arrested immediately, but warned of strict action if he failed to cooperate. The complainant was then instructed to share his bank account details and transfer funds to another account, purportedly for verification under a Supreme Court order.
Believing the claims, the complainant transferred ₹1.27 crore, after being assured that the amount would be returned once the inquiry was completed. When the money was not refunded, he realised he had been cheated and approached the West Regional Cyber Police Station.
A case was registered and an investigation launched. During the probe, police traced the money trail and gathered crucial information, which led to the arrest of Parshuram Jagtap. Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the fraud network.