Chandigarh Police Bust ₹38 Lakh Digital Arrest Scam, Six Arrested Including Chennai-Based Mastermind ‘Rocky’
Chandigarh Police have arrested six accused, including a Chennai-based mastermind known as ‘Rocky’, in a ₹38 lakh digital arrest cyber fraud case. The accused allegedly impersonated Mumbai Police and CBI officials, threatened a city resident, and coerced him into transferring money. The investigation revealed Chinese links, cryptocurrency conversion, and a multi-layered cybercrime network. Further probe is underway to trace international connections.
Chandigarh Police Bust Digital Arrest Fraud; Six Arrested Including Chennai-Based Mastermind
Chandigarh Police on Thursday arrested six individuals, including a Chennai-based mastermind who operated under the alias ‘Rocky’, in connection with a ₹38 lakh ‘digital arrest’ cyber fraud targeting a city resident.
The accused have been identified as Veena Rani (29) and Satnam Singh (40) from Ferozepur; Sukhdeep Singh alias Sukh (28) and Dharminder Singh alias Laddi (40) from Fazilka; Mukesh alias Prince (25) from Sector 45, Chandigarh; and Fazal alias ‘Rocky’, a resident of Chennai.
Role of Mastermind ‘Rocky’ and Chinese Links
According to DSP A. Venkatesh, Cybercrime, the prime accused Fazal alias Rocky was in direct contact with Chinese nationals through the Telegram application. Acting as a key coordinator, he allegedly monitored real-time inflow of fraud money and received instructions regarding withdrawals from specific bank accounts.
Rocky allegedly directed his associates to withdraw cash and convert it into cryptocurrency. He reportedly earned a commission of around 10% per transaction, while the converted cryptocurrency was transferred abroad as per directions from foreign handlers.
Modus Operandi of the Digital Arrest Scam
The case was registered following a complaint by a Chandigarh resident, who received threatening calls on January 7 from individuals impersonating officials of the Colaba Police Station, Mumbai. The victim was falsely accused of involvement in a money laundering case.
The fraudsters allegedly threatened him with arrest and confiscation of property. The victim later received WhatsApp video calls displaying the name ‘Colaba Mumbai Police’, during which a man in police uniform declared his arrest. Forged arrest warrants and fabricated official documents were also sent.
Subsequently, another caller posing as the CBI Director claimed that the victim’s Aadhaar card had been misused. Under severe psychological pressure, the victim was coerced into transferring ₹38 lakh to multiple bank accounts provided by the accused.
The victim and his wife were kept under ‘digital arrest’ from the evening of January 7 till January 8, police said.
Legal Action and Charges
As confirmed by SP Geetanjali Khandelwal, an FIR was registered on January 9 at the Cybercrime Police Station, Sector 17, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:
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