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Time of India
12 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Kolkata Police arrests six for operating fake call centre
K olkata: The Cyber Police Station on Tuesday arrested six persons for allegedly operating an illegal call centre that targeted US residents through various tech support scams. The arrests were made between 4 am and 4:35 am at a ground floor facility on Diamond Harbour Road. The accused have been identified as Aman Sharma (25), Deepak Singh (26), Rahul Das (30), Avinash Singh (21), Sudhir Kumar Mahato (28), and Pratik Kumar Singh (27). The cops stated that the accused used organised money transfer routes and even cryptocurrency to trick their victims. According to police, the suspects posed as representatives of Microsoft and Norton, making Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls to US residents. They allegedly defrauded victims by gaining remote access to their computers and siphoning money from their accounts. "The group operated a sophisticated scam operation using advanced technology to appear legitimate to their victims," said a senior cyber police official who requested anonymity as the investigation is ongoing. Police recovered ₹3,50,500 in cash, five laptops, nine mobile phones, and three multimedia headphones from the premises. Additional evidence, including VoIP diallers and remote access software, were also seized. The accused have been charged under multiple sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and BNS Act, 2023, including provisions related to computer-related offences, identity theft, and cheating by personation. "This arrest highlights our ongoing efforts to combat cyber fraud operations targeting international victims," the official added. "We urge citizens to remain vigilant and never share remote access to their devices with unknown callers." The suspects were produced before the court on Tuesday with a police remand request. The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the full extent of the financial losses and identify potential additional perpetrators.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
UPI payment helps cops rescue abducted trader
Kolkata: Bhowanipore Police on Saturday rescued a Kulpi-based trader who was kidnapped 48 hours earlier from near the Netaji Bhavan metro station and kept confined to a condo's 11th-floor flat on SC Mullick Road, close to Jadavpur's Sulekha area. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The cops have arrested five people for orchestrating the abduction. The accused allegedly demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh, later revised to Rs 5 lakh, from the victim's family through WhatsApp calls made to the victim's wife. The victim, Timir Kanti Majumder, had travelled to Kolkata from South 24 Parganas on May 28 for some bank-related work. The rescue operation lasted less than four hours and involved the use of state-of-the-art technical surveillance. "The main hurdle of the investigation was to locate any suspect as neither the complainant — Majumder's wife Tapasi — nor her family members could provide any details about any suspect. The suspects themselves were not using mobile phones," said DC (South) Priyabrata Roy. The accused kept their phones switched off and used the victim's phone to place ransom demands using a Wi-Fi network. The victim's wife panicked on receiving the ransom calls and told the accused she needed time to try and arrange the money. She sent the accused Rs 10,000 — of the Rs 5 lakh demanded as ransom — to the UPI ID of one of the accused, Suman Bose. This transaction later turned out to be the most crucial lead in the investigation. "We located Bose near Sukanta Setu. He was nabbed and questioned extensively before he led us to the flat located inside the Jadavpur condo. He also helped us track down the victim," said an investigating officer. "It seems that some dispute over financial transactions led to the trader being targeted. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The accused have told us that the victim owed lakhs to them. The complainant, though, has denied the claims, stating Majumder was tricked in a business venture. It is clear, though, that the accused knew each other," said an investigating officer. "The accused have been identified as Sajal Bose (43), Sudip Mazumder (39), Suman Bose (51), Samir Kumar Deb (51), and Sandipan alias Chima Das (39), all residents of the Bijoygarh area. They have been booked under sections 140(2)/140(3)/3(5) of the BNS Act, 2023, pertaining to kidnapping for ransom," said Rupesh Kumar, Joint CP (Crime).
The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
Police crack the whip on sale and distribution of spurious seeds
Telangana Police have launched a state-wide crackdown on sale and distribution of spurious seeds, including the banned herbicide-tolerant cotton varieties, amid concerns over the impact on farmers' livelihoods and crop productivity. According to Director General of Police (DGP) Jitender, a joint task force comprising police personnel, agriculture officials and seed corporation officials has been activated at the district level to identify and prosecute those selling fake, substandard, or expired seeds. The offenders are being booked under multiple laws, including the Seeds Act, Environmental Protection Act and even the BNS Act. Police are also targeting vendors peddling illegal B.G. III (herbicide tolerant) cotton seeds, which are banned under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. 'These sellers are playing with the lives of innocent farmers. When crops fail due to spurious seeds, farmers pay a heavy price,' the officer said, referring to the rise in farmer suicides linked to poor yields. The offences range from selling low-germination seeds to passing off grains as seeds, relabelling expired stock and operating without licences. Some have been caught distributing seeds in torn or unlabelled containers, while others have diverted government-subsidised seeds for private sale. Cases under relevant laws, some carrying prison terms of up to seven years, are being registered. As a deterrent, authorities are seizing assets used in the manufacture and sale of these fake seeds by invoking provisions of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police are also not hesitating to invoke the Preventive Detention Act in severe cases. In recent weeks, raids in Vikarabad, Gadwal, and the commissionerates of Rachakonda, Warangal and Ramagundam, have led to significant seizures of illegal seeds and pesticides. Farmers have been urged to procure seeds only from authorised dealers and report any suspicious activities related to seeds, fertilizers or pesticides, to the nearest police station.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Engineer, family cheated of Rs 2.53cr in property investment fraud
SLUG: MEHSANA COUPLE BOOKED Ahmedabad: A 39-year-old man from the Tragad area of the city filed a complaint with Sabarmati police station on Thursday, alleging that he and his relatives were cheated of Rs 2.53 crore by a couple from Mehsana on the pretext of making investments in land and properties in Gift City. The mechanical engineer employed with a private firm in Prahladnagar, stated in his complaint that the accused, man and his wife from Japor village in Mehsana district, convinced him and his family to invest in real estate projects named "Vishakha Olivia" and "Vishakha Eliana". The victim said his wife, a govt schoolteacher, was introduced to the couple in 2012 when they were colleagues. Over time, both families developed close relations. In 2020, the accused claimed they were running real estate and construction businesses and offered investment opportunities in land and flat schemes in Tragad, Charodi, and Gift City, promising high returns. Between 2021 and 2023, the complainant and his relatives invested Rs 2.53 crore through online transfers and cash payments. They were also given six handwritten diaries acknowledging the receipt of funds. According to the complaint, Rs 1.43 crore was paid via bank transfer and Rs 1.09 crore in cash. The accused provided registration papers for three flats and issued three cheques totalling Rs 16 lakh, which are yet to be cleared. When the promised returns were not paid by the Dec 2023 deadline, the complainant approached the police. Sabarmati police registered an FIR of breach of trust, cheating, and criminal conspiracy under the BNS Act and began an investigation into the alleged fraud.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
A'bad man among 10 cheated of Rs 68L in delivery franchises scam
Ahmedabad: An e-commerce company based in Delhi and its directors allegedly cheated 10 people, including a man from Ahmedabad, of Rs 68.40 lakh by promising warehouse delivery franchises. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The victims were initially paid some money as warehouse rent and commission, but later the payments stopped. According to a police complaint filed by Ilen Patel from the Sola area, he first saw an advertisement on social media offering delivery franchise opportunities and applied for it. He received a call from a woman who asked him to visit the company's Prahladnagar office. There, two individuals — Devendra Goswami and Arthav — told him to pay Rs 11,000 as a token amount for an Ahmedabad district warehouse franchise, which Patel paid through UPI. He was later contacted by a man, Sanjay Sharma, who claimed to be the head of the company. Sharma suggested Patel take a zonal warehouse franchise instead and asked for Rs 12.5 lakh. Patel and his father paid the amount after discussion. They were promised Rs 25,000 monthly rent and a 1% commission. Following this, Patel rented a warehouse near Science City based on the company's instructions. He received Rs 1.88 lakh from the company in the first four months. After that, the company stopped making payments. Patel visited the company's Ahmedabad office but did not get a proper response. He later came in contact with others who had similar experiences. All of them invested money for the delivery franchise and were not repaid the money. The economic offence wing (EOW) of the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) registered a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy under the BNS Act and began an investigation.
