NRI : The law enforcement authorities have successfully unraveled a complex NRI cyber fraud case involving the siphoning of ₹57.60 lakh from the bank account of a UK-based resident, Ramandeep Grewal, who held an account with HDFC Bank. This shocking incident has sent shockwaves through the banking industry and raised concerns about the security of digital financial transactions.
On Wednesday, four individuals were apprehended in connection with this elaborate scheme, and a significant sum of ₹25 lakh has already been recovered, marking a significant victory for the authorities. However, two other suspects, both female, are currently on the run, evading capture.
The central figure in this nefarious operation is Sukhjit Singh, the relationship manager at HDFC Bank’s Dugri branch. Shockingly, Singh allegedly provided crucial account information to his co-conspirators in exchange for a promised sum of ₹14 lakh upon the successful execution of the fraudulent scheme.
The saga began to unfold on September 3 when Puneet Sahni, the manager of HDFC Bank’s Phullanwal branch, reported the incident to the Sadar police station. The complaint detailed an online fraud transaction affecting one of the bank’s customers, an NRI residing in the UK.
Following the complaint by NRI, the police initiated a comprehensive investigation, leading to the registration of a case against four individuals under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the IT Act on September 5.
NRI & Exhaustive Inquiry
After conducting an exhaustive inquiry, law enforcement successfully identified and apprehended four suspects. However, two individuals, Sneha Gupta from Thareeke, and Kiran Devi from Faridabad, continue to evade capture. The arrested individuals have been identified as Sukhjit Singh, Nilesh Pandey from Uttar Pradesh, Abhishekh Singh from Greater Noida, and Love Kumar from Bihar.
The police’s findings indicate that Sukhjit Singh, the bank’s relationship manager, played a pivotal role in the scam by selling NRI account details for a substantial sum. The accused took advantage of Ramandeep Grewal’s NRI account, which had an inactive linked mobile number that had been disconnected and reissued.
Sukhjit Singh allegedly leaked Grewal’s old phone number and account details to his co-conspirator, Love Kumar, who then tracked down the current user of the number in Faridkot. To gain control over the number, the accused promised the new owner a job, collected identity documents, and ultimately transferred the number to Kiran Devi’s name.
Armed with compromised personal information, the criminals hacked into the NRI customer’s net banking using OTPs, altered the linked email address, added beneficiaries, and ordered a new debit card via net banking.
A total of ₹57 lakh was illicitly transferred to three other bank accounts held by their associates: Sneha Gupta from Chandigarh, Kiran Devi from Faridabad, and Nilesh Pandey.
Commissioner of Police, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, affirmed that while four suspects have been detained, an active manhunt is underway to locate and apprehend the two remaining fugitives. During the arrests, the police seized ₹17.35 lakh in cash and froze ₹7.24 lakh in bank accounts. Additionally, law enforcement recovered several items, including an Apple MacBook, four mobile phones, eight ATM cards, three checkbooks, and a car with UP registration.
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