A team of Delhi Police’s cyber crime unit has arrested a 25-year-old cyber-fraud accused from Jharkhand after a dramatic chase through forested, hilly terrain during a raid conducted in an area known for organised cyber fraud activities, officials said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Pravin Rana, a resident of Giridih district in Jharkhand, was allegedly involved in an online fraud case in which a Delhi-based victim was cheated of Rs 80,825 through a malicious APK file sent over WhatsApp.
According to the police, a case in this regard was registered at Cyber Police Station, Outer North District, after the complainant reported that his banking credentials were compromised after downloading an APK file received on WhatsApp. The stolen money was subsequently transferred to a Canara Bank account and later withdrawn through ATM transactions.
During investigation, the cyber police team carried out technical surveillance, money trail analysis, examination of bank account transactions and call detail analysis. Investigators found that the cheated amount had been transferred to a Canara Bank account allegedly linked to the accused.
A police team conducted multiple raids in remote forested areas of Jharkhand and served repeated notices to the accused through the CAIR Portal, directing him to join the investigation. However, the accused allegedly continued to evade police action. On May 7, acting on specific technical inputs and local intelligence, the police team raided the suspected hideout of the accused. The police said that upon noticing the police presence, Rana attempted to flee through jungle routes and hilly terrain. In a dramatic pursuit, SI Amit and HC Mandeep chased the accused on foot through the forest area for a considerable distance before finally apprehending him.
During the operation, the police recovered a mobile phone from the accused. Examination of the device reportedly revealed two WhatsApp applications installed on the phone. One WhatsApp account linked to mobile number was allegedly connected to the fraudulent bank account used in the cyber fraud.
The police said the accused was actively involved in cyber fraud operations and had deliberately avoided the investigation despite repeated notices.
