Janjgir-Champa, Shivrinarayan: In a decisive action against cybercrime, the Cyber Cell of Janjgir-Champa police has arrested six individuals for allegedly providing their bank accounts to cyber fraudsters for illegal financial transactions. These accounts, commonly known as "mule accounts," were rented out for commission and used as conduits to receive and circulate money obtained through online fraud. The action was taken under the leadership of Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar Pandey (IPS) and Additional SP Umesh Kumar Kashyap. A case has been registered at Shivrinarayan police station, and the accused have been sent to judicial remand under sections 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), and 111(B) 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
Investigations revealed that a total of ₹31,49,312 had been transacted through these mule accounts, which were linked to multiple cyber fraud complaints from across India. The fraud complaints were registered via the Government of India’s Coordination Portal, a system under the Ministry of Home Affairs meant for inter-agency cybercrime tracking. Complaints connected to these accounts came from various states including West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Despite being located in Chhattisgarh, the accused were part of a much larger national web of financial cybercrime.
The accused confessed during interrogation that they had handed over their accounts on a commission basis. One of the main accused, Bhola Ram Kumhar, admitted to giving his bank account to Lakhan Lal Sultan in exchange for a commission. Lakhan, in turn, acted as an agent, collecting accounts from multiple individuals and earning ₹12,000 to ₹15,000 for each. He confessed to having delivered 10–15 such accounts to a person named Gandhi Shande, who is currently imprisoned in Raigarh jail for a separate cyber fraud case. The flow of funds through these accounts was carefully mapped, showing deposits from across state lines, confirming their use in a coordinated cyber scam.
Six bank account holders were taken into custody after police verification showed that money from various cyber fraud cases had indeed flowed into their accounts. These bank accounts were found to be maintained at the Axis Bank branch in Shivrinarayan. The cyber fraud money was either withdrawn or used directly by the account holders and facilitators. After gathering enough digital and documentary evidence, police took all six into custody and froze the concerned accounts to prevent further misuse.
Superintendent Vijay Kumar Pandey appealed to the public not to share or rent out their bank accounts to anyone, particularly unknown individuals. Doing so could not only make them complicit in cybercrime but also result in serious legal action. The case stands as a warning to others who may be tempted by quick money through similar means.
The operation was successfully conducted with the coordinated efforts of Shivrinarayan Police Station in-charge Bhaskar Sharma, Cyber Cell Inspector Sagar Pathak, SI Vivek Singh, and team members including Head Constable Manoj Tigga, Constables Sahbaz Khan, Girish Kashyap, Pradeep Dubey, and Makhan Sahu. Their detailed investigation and timely action have helped uncover a significant link in the ongoing fight against financial cybercrime in the region.