Bhubaneswar, June 13 (IANS) The Odisha Police arrested six cyber criminals including one woman fraudster from West Bengal and Gujarat in separate cases of cyber fraud, the state Crime Branch said on Friday.

The cops have arrested a female cybercriminal identified as Anushka Mitra (24), from Durgapur area in West Bengal in connection with an investment fraud case involving worth Rs 74.10 lakh.

The Odisha Crime Branch, in a press statement, on Friday stated that a person from Balasore lodged a complaint on May 6, 2024, alleging that unknown cyber fraudsters had duped him of Rs 74.10 lakh by promising high returns through investments in international metal trading, IPOs, and OTC trading.

The victim continued investing despite incurring losses. When he tried to withdraw his funds, the fraudsters demanded additional money and refused to release his funds.

The police in the course of investigation ascertained that accused Anushka along with her associates, posing as trade analysts defrauded the complainant of Rs 74,10,000 through the investment scam.

A fraudster, identified as Khikani Dhruv Vijaybhai (22), has been arrested from Bhavnagar City in Gujarat, on the charges of duping one person from Chhatrapur in Ganjam district of Rs 50 lakhs through investment in a fake stock market investment scheme.

“The fraud began through a WhatsApp group named “E141-A.K. Capital Services Ltd Exchange Group”, where the victim was convinced to install a fraudulent application called “A.K Group” under the pretense of investing in IPOs with high returns.

“Believing the claims, the victim transferred Rs 50 lakhs through multiple transactions,” informed the Crime Branch.

However, he was later shown fake negative balances within the app and was repeatedly asked to deposit more money. The complainant soon realised that he lost the money to cyber fraudsters and lodged a complaint with the Crime Branch on February 11, 2025.

“The accused person and his associates represented themselves as trade analysts and officials of A.K. Capital Services Ltd, and cheated the complainant to a tune of Rs 50 lakh through a fake trading software application,” noted the Crime Branch.

The Odisha Police has also arrested two more cyber criminals taking the tally of arrest 11 in connection with a cyber fraud case, in which a senior BJD leader and former IT minister of Odisha lost worth Rs 1.4 crore to the cyber fraudsters through International Metal Trading, IPOs, and OTC trading.

The accused persons, Kantariya Yogesh Harjibhai and Kotak Koushik, were arrested from Gujarat. They were produced before the court here on Friday.

Similarly, two farmers were arrested by the crime branch sleuths in connection with a digital arrest case involving a fraud amount worth Rs 1.06 crore. Earlier, the cops have arrested six persons in connection with the case.

–IANS

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