Guwahati Sept 30: In a breakthrough, the Punjab Police, in collaboration with Assam Police, arrested two cybercriminals from Guwahati on Monday and recovered ₹5.25 crore, ATM cards and mobile phones.
The victim is SP Oswal, chairperson of the Vardhman Group and a Padma Bhushan awardee.
The two individuals arrested in the cyber fraud case involving textile industrialist SP Oswal have been identified as Atanu Choudhury, from Lakhra Road, and Anand Kumar, from the Paltanbazar area in Guwahati. Meanwhile, seven other suspects remain at large: Nimi Bhattacharyya, Rumi Kalita, Alok Rangi, Gulam Murtaja, Sanjay Sutradhar, Rintu, and Jakir.
The fraud began when Oswal received a call claiming that a parcel addressed to him, allegedly containing 58 passports and 16 ATM cards, had been seized by the Customs Department in Mumbai. The scammers falsely informed him that this parcel was linked to a Vardhaman company, and the Supreme Court had issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with the case.
To add credibility to their claims, the fraudsters sent a fake video of a supposed Supreme Court hearing, in which they impersonated Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials. They also presented Oswal with a fabricated Supreme Court arrest warrant, using these tactics to deceive him into transferring money under the pretense of resolving the legal issue.
Due to the sophistication of the fraud, this case is regarded as one of the most high-profile cybercrimes in India.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre confirmed that this is the largest recovery of its kind in the country, reflecting the growing complexity and scale of cybercriminal operations.
The arrest was made following a complaint by Padma Bhushan awardee and textile industrialist SP Oswal, who was duped into transferring ₹7 crore by a gang impersonating officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and even faking a Supreme Court hearing.
The fraudsters used high-level tactics, including creating fake arrest warrants and staging an online hearing where someone posed as Chief Justice of India, Justice DY Chandrachud.
The involvement of advanced digital tools and forgery demonstrates the alarming capabilities of cybercriminals today, even targeting prominent individuals. While ₹5.25 crore was recovered and returned to Oswal’s accounts.
In a post on X, Punjab Police Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav said, “Commendable work by Ludhiana Police in cracking an inter-state cyber fraud gang. Two persons have been arrested from Guwahati, with the help of Assam police, and seven more persons have been nominated. A recovery of Rs 5.25 crore, along with ATM cards and mobile phones, marks the largest-ever recovery in India as per I4C data.”
“In recognition of the excellent police work, the Cybercrime team of Ludhiana Commissionerate has been awarded the Director General’s Commendation Disc for their unwavering dedication to ensuring public safety. This achievement sets a strong precedent and a high bar in the fight against cybercrime,” the DGP added.
He also thanked the Assam Police for their support during the operation.
“I thank DGP Assam Police for the excellent support provided in our inter-state operation Punjab Police is working round-the-clock to take immediate action against New Age crimes and keep our citizens safe as per the directions of CM Bhagwant Mann,” he said.
