Odisha police have arrested two persons from Gujarat for allegedly defrauding the vice-chancellor of Berhampur University of ₹14 lakh.
The accused, identified as Bhutaiya Jenil Jaysukhbhai, 23, and Vishwajeetsinh Gohil, 21, were apprehended from Bhavnagar in Gujarat.
Superintendent of police (Berhampur), Saravana Vivek M., told reporters on Saturday:“The vice-chancellor filed a report stating that unidentified cyber fraudsters had defrauded her. They impersonated a CBI officer and accused the victim of being involved in a money laundering case, claiming that an account had been created in her name at Canara Bank where ₹6 crore had been laundered. She was kept under digital arrest from February 14 to 22 and asked to apply for a priority investigation against a ‘Supreme Court warrant’.”
He added: “They sent the victim a ‘warrant’ via WhatsApp. She was asked to go to the bank immediately and deposit all her cash for the investigation. Accordingly, she deposited ₹14 lakh on February 14 into the account provided by the fraudsters. On February 15, they returned ₹80,000 to her account, claiming it had been verified. They assured her the remaining amount would also be returned after verification. However, no further money was refunded, and she lodged an FIR on February 24.”
In a press release, police said: “The accused and their associates, with the intention to cheat, threatened the complainant with arrest using fake documents posing as confidential credentials. They gathered these through illicit means and falsely presented themselves as representatives of genuine organisations. Investigations have revealed that they fraudulently obtained ₹14 lakh from the complainant.”