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Hindustan Times
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC seeks Centre reply on plea on Delhi Police's powers over online content
The Delhi high court has sought responses from the Union government and lieutenant governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena on a petition challenging a Central notification that empowers Delhi Police officers to issue takedown orders to social media platforms for removing online content. A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela on Wednesday issued notice to the LG and the Union ministry of electronics and information technology (MEIT) on a plea filed by the Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC). The matter will be heard next on September 17. The petition pertains to a gazette notification issued on December 26, 2024, through which Saxena authorised at least 23 senior Delhi Police officers to issue takedown orders under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology (IT) Act. This section makes intermediaries — such as Facebook, YouTube, Jio, and Cloudflare — liable for third-party content if they fail to remove unlawful material after being notified by the 'appropriate government' or its agency. According to the notification, officers authorised to issue such notices include DCPs of Delhi's districts, the intelligence fusion and strategic operations (IFSO) unit, economic offences wing, crime branch, special cell, special branch, IGI Airport, Railways and Metro units. These officers can act in cases reported within their jurisdiction and 'notify instances of information, data or communication links' connected to any computer resource used to commit an unlawful act. The notification also designated the joint commissioner of police, IFSO, as the state nodal officer, with the DCP IFSO appointed as assistant state nodal officer. SFLC, represented by advocate Talha Abdul Rehman, argued that empowering police officers to issue unilateral takedown orders without judicial oversight was 'arbitrary' and 'violative of due process'. 'The statutory power to block or remove online content is exclusively vested in the Central Government under Section 69A of the IT Act, read with the Information Technology Rules, 2009. The impugned notification, by granting these powers to the police, oversteps constitutional and statutory boundaries and is, therefore, ultra vires the parent legislation,' the plea said. It further argued that only the Centre has the authority to issue such directives under Section 69A and that the move violates Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution. It also contradicts landmark Supreme Court judgments that underscore the importance of legal safeguards and proportionality in actions affecting fundamental rights.
New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Two arrested for aiding cyber fraud in stock market scam in Delhi
NEW DELHI: Two men were arrested for allegedly providing bank accounts to cyber fraudsters, which were used to dupe people under the pretext of high-return stock market investments, police said on Friday. One of the accused is a Chinese agent based in Gujarat, while the other is an account holder from Roorkee, Uttarakhand. Six mobile phones loaded with Chinese apps and online wallets used for cyber fraud were recovered. The accused have been identified as Vaddoriya Kewin Mukeshbhai (25), a resident of Surat, Gujarat, and Abdul Barik (32), from Roorkee. On April 2, a person lodged a complaint stating that he had been cheated of Rs 64.75 lakh with promises of huge profits through IPOs and stock trading. He was persuaded to open a fake Demat account on a platform named 'Business Catalyst Market Ltd' and transferred money to five different accounts as directed by the fraudsters, a senior police officer said. 'During investigation, a detailed analysis of the first layer of account statements revealed that the defrauded money was moved through five accounts and then funnelled into several others,' said Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) Hemant Tiwari. 'Mukeshbhai was active in multiple Chinese cyber groups like 'Gaming Adda' and 'HY-PAY' and lured people on social media, offering commission for providing bank accounts,' the DCP added. Barik responded to one such ad and was later contacted by another Chinese agent to provide his bank account and SIM card.
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
2 held for stock market scam in Delhi
With the arrest of two people, the Delhi Police's special cell on Wednesday busted a multi-layered stock market scam allegedly run by an international syndicate. The two arrested accused had been facilitating mule bank accounts used to launder over ₹64 lakh siphoned off from an investor under the pretext of stock market trading and IPO investments, police said on Friday. Deputy commissioner of police of the intelligence fusion and strategic operations (IFSO) unit, Hemant Tiwari, said that the complainant, Ashok Kumar, alleged that some miscreants tricked him into transferring ₹64.75 lakh to five different bank accounts via a demat platform, allegedly fake. The accused have been identified as Vaddoriya Kewin Mukeshbhai, 25, a BBA student from Gujarat's Surat and Abdul Barik, 32, from Roorkee. 'During the investigation, it was revealed that the money was then transferred through several accounts to evade detection. Six mobile phones loaded with Chinese applications and online wallets were recovered from their possession. The accused received their commission in cryptocurrency,' Tiwari said. A case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered. 'We suspect a broader international nexus behind the scam and are analysing further digital and financial evidence to dismantle the network,' the DCP added.
Indian Express
16-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Delhi: Cyber fraud module with links to Chinese groups busted, 2 arrested
Ashok Kumar, an advocate and a property dealer from Goyla Khurd in Dwarka, got a call on February 28 from an employee of a company, promising lucrative stock market returns on investments. By March 27, his account was drained of Rs 64.75 lakh, with no sign of its return. On Friday, the Delhi Police said it has arrested two men, busting a module of cyber frauds linked with Chinese groups, duping people in the name of online trading. On February 28, a woman who called herself Tanvi, an employee of the company, told Ashok that he could earn overwhelming returns in online trading — if he invested the right amount. All he had to do, she said, was to install a Demat app using a link she sent on WhatsApp. Ashok obliged and was given a wallet on the app with an ID and password to deposit the money. According to the FIR, Ashok told the police that on February 28, he first deposited Rs 50,000 in the wallet. A day later, Rs 60,000 were credited in the wallet. Ashok was ecstatic and ready to pour in more money. He was asked by Tanvi to start transferring money to multiple bank accounts, the profits on which, she said, would be credited to his wallet. Ashok transferred Rs 64.75 lakh in five bank accounts, with the largest transaction of Rs 32 lakh being made on March 27 in a bank account opened in the name of a company. Ashok could see the money in his wallet and the returns pouring in. Tanvi then asked Ashok to make a final deposit of Rs 57 lakh, which she said was the tax that needed to be paid for his 'winnings' in the online trade. According to the FIR, Ashok told the police that he couldn't pay, as he had already drained all his savings. Tanvi then told Ashok that the tax was a necessity if he ever wanted to access the wallet. Ashok realised he had been scammed. He never heard from Tanvi again. On April 2, Ashok's case reached the IFSO Special Cell. 'A detailed analysis of the account statements revealed that the defrauded amount had been transferred into five bank accounts and subsequently funnelled into numerous other accounts,' DCP (IFSO) Hemant Tiwari said. The police traced one of the account holders, Abdul Barik, who was arrested in Dwarka on May 3. Abdul said that he provided his account to Kewin alias Vaddoriya Kewin Mukeshbhai, who was arrested in Loni, Ghaziabad, the same day. Police said it came to light that Kewin used to allegedly sell the account details of people like Abdul to Chinese fraudsters. He is accused of procuring and selling bank accounts on commission, which were then used for laundering funds from scams. Investigators revealed that the accused were receiving commissions in USDT (a cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar) through an application, a globally used crypto exchange platform. 'Kewin was part of several Chinese Telegram groups. When he got Abdul's account details, he put them on the group. Some translators translated his message into Chinese, after which the fraudsters contacted Abdul via a man named Akash Joshi. Kewin was paid in USDT, credited to his wallet, by the Chinese. Abdul's fees were also transferred to Akash Joshi in USDT, who converted it into cash to pay Abdul,' an officer said. Kewin, police said, was arrested last year in Gujarat in a digital arrest case. After being released on bail, he came to Loni. The police are now looking for Akash Joshi, the third accused in the case, said officers.
India Gazette
16-05-2025
- India Gazette
Delhi Police nabs individual for duping a Defence personnel
New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): Delhi Cyber Police Station on Friday nabbed an individual who duped a Defence personnel on various pretexts, as per officials. The individual has been identified as Om Prakash Sanwaria and has been involved in 10 cases, as per the Delhi Police. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police IFSO unit of Special Cell busted a module responsible for providing, handling, and using mule/fake bank accounts in connection with IVR scam (Digital Arrest scam). The accused were operating mule accounts to siphon off the proceeds of crime abroad. According to a release, Rs 2.2 crores, three mobile phones, SIM cards, and other digital documents were recovered and restored to the victim. According to Delhi Police, on March 15, 2025, a complaint was filed with the Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit of the Special Cell by a 92-year-old retired surgeon. The complainant alleged that on March 12, 2025; he received multiple unsolicited calls from various numbers. The callers impersonated themselves as the officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Maharashtra Police, falsely claiming that several First Information Reports (FIRs) had been registered against the victim. The victim was threatened with arrest and was subsequently subjected to 'Digital Arrest' through video calls. He was shown forged court orders and coerced into participating in what the accused termed as a virtual hearing, which was actually an overwhelming fake and manipulative series of incidents. The fraudsters thus trapped him into liquidating all his fixed deposits and transferring the funds to three specified bank accounts under the threat of severe legal consequences and harm to his family. Subsequently, a case was registered under Sections 308(2), 318(4), 319(2), 61(2), and 3(5) BNS and investigation was taken up. The team obtained and analysed details of the alleged bank accounts involved in the scam. Through exhaustive analysis of digital footprints and technical surveillance, the accused persons operating the fraudulent bank accounts were identified. Subsequently, a raid was conducted in Ghaziabad and one accused, 42-year-old Amit Sharma alias Rahul, was arrested. During further investigation, one more accused (account handler), 27-year-old Hari Swargiary, was arrested from Guwahati, Assam. The syndicate impersonated as officials from the Police, CBI, Customs, and other government bodies. They would inform victims that multiple FIRs were registered against them. Initially, they threatened the victims with arrest and severe penalties, but later shifted to a more sympathetic tone, suggesting it could be a case of mistaken identity. To resolve the issue, they instructed the victims to lodge a formal complaint and transfer their savings into specified accounts for 'verification,' falsely promising that the funds would be refunded after the verification process. We have zeroed in on other associates of the accused, and the investigation is going on. (ANI)
