New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested a man wanted in the abduction of two Kolkata residents in 2014 from his hideout in Surat, an official said.​

Bhola Singh, alias Gautam Kumar, alias Amit Sharma, was hunted down by the federal probe agency after the abduction case was transferred to it by a High Court, an official statement said.​

Besides this case, Bhola Singh is a wanted criminal in 11 cases registered by the Bihar Police pertaining to abduction, attempt to murder, murder and possession of illegal arms and explosives. He has been absconding since the start of the investigation in 2015.​

The CBI said he was located hiding in Surat using fake identity documents in the name of Amit Sharma. Following the identification of a hideout, Bhola Singh was arrested on Monday during a coordinated operation.​

The accused was produced before the local court at Surat for obtaining his transit remand to Kolkata.​

On reaching Kolkata, Bhola Singh will be produced before a court on Tuesday with a plea to obtain his CBI remand for custodial interrogation, the statement said.​

Earlier in a separate case, the CBI filed a chargesheet against a Siliguri-based accused and a company incorporated by him in connection with a “digital arrest” cyber fraud case involving the cheating of a senior citizen in Delhi of nearly Rs 23 crore, an official statement said.​

The case, which was transferred to the CBI following directions from the Supreme Court of India, pertains to a sophisticated cyber fraud in which the victim was allegedly intimidated through fake legal notices and impersonation of law enforcement and judicial authorities via video calls.​

According to the agency, the accused, identified as Sagnik Roy, has been arrested and is currently in judicial custody. The charge sheet also names a company, Securing World Social and Economic Development Council, which was allegedly used as a front to facilitate the fraudulent transactions.​

The CBI investigations revealed that the bank account operated by the accused and his company was used to receive the defrauded amount from the Delhi-based senior citizen.​

The victim was coerced into transferring funds under the pretext of a so-called “digital arrest” — a tactic used by cybercriminals to instil fear by falsely claiming that the target is under legal scrutiny or detention.​

–IANS

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