New dedicated police station helps Fatehgarh Sahib get cyber smart

The newly set up Cyber Crime Police Station has been a boon for victims of digital frauds, with the team claiming to have solved yet another case.

The complainant had been defrauded of Rs 30 lakh after being threatened with digital arrest. Interestingly, he was even presented before a fake judge online.

The police charged three accused in the case and one of them was brought on a production warrant from Ambala Jail.

While talking to The Tribune, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Subham Aggarwal said the district police have set up the specific Cyber Crime Police Station with funds specially allotted by the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP). He said four inspectors have been deputed at the station, which has begun functioning round the clock.

The SSP added that a victim, Harpal Singh, a resident of Luhar Majra, had complained to the cyber crime cell about being defrauded of Rs 30 lakh by unknown fraudsters threatening him with digital arrest. He said that he was even presented before a fake judge, who declared that he had to go to jail as the case was non-bailable.

According to the complainant, the man impersonating as the judge told him about various big transactions from his account. A few hours later, he received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number. The caller offered him a way out of the case but demanded Rs 30 lakh. Stressed over the ordeal, he ended up making the payment.

The SSP said the cyber cell swung into action upon receiving the complaint and identified three persons after tracking suspicious bank transactions. He said that the beneficiary was identified as one Maninder Singh, a resident of Delhi and presently lodged in Ambala Jail on charges of fraud.

Inspector Sandeep Singh of Cyber Crime cell said the accused was brought on a production warrant and presented in the court. He said that the police were conducting thorough investigation into the case and the search for two more persons named in the fraud was underway.