Jaipur, May 18 (IANS) In a major breakthrough against a sophisticated “digital arrest” cyber fraud racket, the Jodhpur Police Commissionerate has arrested another co-accused involved in a Rs 1.85 crore scam in which fraudsters allegedly impersonated officials of an investigative agency and psychologically pressured a woman into transferring huge sums of money.

Police tracked the accused across nearly 500 kilometres before apprehending him in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur district, officials said on Monday. With the latest arrest, the total number of accused held in the case has risen to five.

According to police officials, the victim lodged a complaint at the Cyber Police Station on February 23, 2026, alleging that unidentified cyber fraudsters contacted her through a WhatsApp call while posing as officials of an investigative agency.

The accused allegedly told the woman that her Aadhaar card had been linked to criminal activities and placed her under what is commonly referred to as “digital arrest” — a tactic in which victims are kept under continuous virtual surveillance and threatened with legal consequences.

Police said the fraudsters created fear and psychological pressure, forcing the woman to transfer nearly Rs 1.85 crore into multiple bank accounts allegedly controlled by the accused. Following registration of the case, the Cyber Police Station launched a detailed technical investigation.

During the course of the probe, police arrested five accused persons linked to the fraud network. Officials said prompt police action helped secure a refund of nearly Rs 40 lakh from the defrauded amount.

In addition, another transfer of Rs 22 lakh was prevented before the fraudsters could extract more money from the victim.

During the investigation, police traced the movement of one accused to Sawai Madhopur district. A special team maintained surveillance and tracked the suspect over a distance of nearly 500 kilometres before successfully apprehending him.

The arrested accused was identified as Janakraj Meena (25), son of Bhagchand Meena and a resident of Piloda village in Sawai Madhopur district.

The operation was carried out by a police team led by Police Inspector Suresh Saran under the direction of Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber Police Station) Padamdan Charan and the supervision of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rapid Investigation Unit) Dhanna Ram.

The operation was conducted under the overall guidance of Police Commissioner Sharat Kaviraj and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) Shaheen C. Police Inspector Suresh Saran, Assistant Sub-Inspector Jamshed Khan and Constable Mahendra played key roles in the operation.

Police officials said further investigation into the cyber fraud network was underway and additional arrests were likely.

–IANS

arc/pgh