Mastermind of nationwide digital arrest scam arrested in Bengaluru: Kolkata Police

The arrested accused will be presented before the jurisdictional court, and transit custody has been sought

Kolkata police have arrested Chirag Kapoor, one of the masterminds behind a nationwide digital arrest scam, in Bengaluru, according to a report by News18 citing sources familiar with the matter. Kapoor is alleged to be connected to 930 cases of digital arrest fraud, the report states.

Digital arrest scams involve fraudsters posing as law enforcement officials on video calls, threatening victims with arrest over fabricated charges, and coercing them into transferring large sums of money. In one such case, the complainant, Debashree Dutta (also known as Debashi Dutta), was duped of Rs 47 lakh after being falsely accused of using her credentials to send a parcel containing contraband drugs. The fraudsters threatened legal action, which led Dutta to make multiple payments to various accounts as instructed by the criminals.

Following a money trail of Rs 7.4 lakh that Dutta had deposited into an account at Jana Small Finance Bank (held by Uma Burney, proprietor of Brain Burst Robotics) on June 12, 2024, police conducted extensive raids on September 28, 2024, in the Anandapur, Patuli, and Narendrapur areas. The raids led to the arrest of eight people and the dismantling of a makeshift office involved in creating fake accounts. Authorities seized 104 passbooks, 61 mobile phones, 33 debit cards, two QR code machines, 140 SIM cards, 40 seals, and 10 lease agreements. It was later revealed that the office was used to collect accounts, alter email IDs, passwords, and other credentials, which were sold to fraudsters across India.

Chirag Kapoor was identified as the ringleader of the operation, with sources stating that he conducted the scam through his agents, remaining distant to avoid suspicion. Further investigation led to the arrest of one of Kapoor's associates in Delhi on October 26, 2024, who was responsible for distributing the fake accounts.

As of now, a total of 10 people have been arrested in connection with the case. Kapoor, who had been evading capture, was apprehended by a Kolkata police team at approximately 4:30 AM on January 9, 2025, in Bengaluru. Authorities recovered three routers, two hard discs, one laptop, one Beetel landline phone, four mobile phones with SIM cards, five SIM cards, three PAN cards, four chequebooks, one USB drive, and six rubber stamps in various company names from his possession.

The arrested accused will be presented before the jurisdictional court, and transit custody has been sought, the News18 report adds.