Mumbai Police launched an investigation into a suspected cyber fraud case in which a nationalised bank’s senior official allegedly lost Rs 4.27 lakh through unauthorised credit card transactions.

Investigators suspect that the fraud may have started after the victim’s personal secretary connected his mobile phone to the free public Wi-Fi network at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai.

According to police, cybercriminals may have gained access to the personal secretary’s mobile phone and later used the compromised device to spread a malicious Android application package (APK) file disguised as a Regional Transport Office (RTO) traffic challan. The fake application was reportedly sent to several people in the phone’s contact list, including senior bank officials.

The MRA Marg police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) and are investigating whether the mobile device was infected through the public Wi-Fi network, a fake hotspot imitating the genuine network, or through another method used by cybercriminals.

Police said the complainant, 56-year-old Gobinda Biswas, a resident of Bhakti Park in Wadala and general manager at a nationalised bank office in Fort, received a message on July 18 from his personal secretary Narayan Swami. The message appeared to be an official RTO challan and contained an APK file.

Before sending the message, Swami had connected his mobile phone to the free Wi-Fi service available at CSMT, police said. After the device was allegedly compromised, the malicious file was automatically forwarded through messaging applications to more than 200 contacts saved on the phone.

Believing the message to be a genuine traffic challan, Biswas downloaded and installed the application. Police suspect that the malware then gained access to sensitive information stored on his device, including data that could have been misused for financial fraud.

Investigators believe the infected application continued spreading the malicious file to additional contacts. On July 21, Biswas noticed unusual activity on his phone and deleted the application. However, police suspect that the malware had already accessed important information before removal.

Police said Biswas did not receive any SMS alerts regarding the suspicious credit card transactions. The fraud came to light on August 3 when he received his credit card statement. The complaint stated that five unauthorised transactions amounting to Rs 4,27,264 were carried out within just 28 minutes on July 21.

The bank’s credit card department later attempted to contact the customer several times. After the transactions were found suspicious and communication could not be established, the credit card was blocked, police said.

Biswas subsequently filed a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and approached MRA Marg police. An FIR was registered on August 4 in connection with the suspected cybercrime.

A Mumbai Police official said that the investigation is underway to identify the source of the malware and determine the exact method used by the accused to gain access to the mobile device.

Citizens should remain cautious while connecting to public Wi-Fi networks and should avoid installing applications received from unknown sources, Mumbai Police cautioned.

Cyber experts have repeatedly warned that attackers can use fake applications, phishing messages and unsafe public networks to steal personal and financial information. Police have advised citizens to verify links and applications before downloading them and to avoid sharing sensitive banking details through suspicious platforms.

New Delhi, Aug 7: The India-US Counter Narcotics Working Group (CNWG) Pillar I Working Group Meeting was hosted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a hybrid format, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in combating narcotics trafficking and the diversion of precursor chemicals.

The NCB shared details of the meeting on the social media platform X, stating, “The India-US Counter Narcotics Working Group (CNWG) – Pillar I Working Group Meeting was hosted by the Narcotics Control Bureau on 6 August 2026 in hybrid mode.”

The meeting brought together representatives from several Indian and US agencies. Participants from the Indian side included the NCB, Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Department of Revenue, and Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals.

The US delegation included officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), LEGAT, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and the US Department of State.

According to the NCB, the discussions focused on strengthening operational cooperation, preventing the diversion of precursor chemicals, enhancing policy coordination, and advancing capacity building.

India highlighted its robust precursor control framework and ongoing initiatives to further strengthen regulatory and enforcement mechanisms to prevent the diversion of precursor chemicals.

The meeting follows earlier discussions held in March during the 69th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria. During those talks, NCB Director General Anurag Garg and Sara Carter, Director of the US Office of National Drug Control Policy, discussed sharing actionable intelligence to bolster counter-narcotics cooperation. Both sides also explored mechanisms for real-time information sharing to facilitate parallel investigations against transnational drug cartels operating across jurisdictions.

Meanwhile, the Central government informed the Lok Sabha this week that the NCB has strengthened international cooperation in drug control through bilateral agreements with 27 countries and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with 19 countries.

Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in reply to a query, had said that India holds regular Director General (DG) Level/bilateral talks on drug-related matters with countries such as Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Singapore and the US.

Responding to questions by Naresh Ganpat Mhaske and Shrikant Shinde, Rai added that to address the challenge of illicit drug trafficking and abuse of drugs, Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029) was released on June 26, which lays down a three-year roadmap with clear priorities and time bound targets to be achieved by various stakeholders to control drugs with ‘Whole-of-Government’ and ‘Whole-of-Society’ approach.

The MoS said the NCB has also established a four-tier Narco-Coordination Center (NCORD) mechanism for ensuring better coordination between Central and state drug law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in the field of controlling drug trafficking and drug abuse in India.

The Lok Sabha failed to transact any legislative business on Friday morning, as the constant protests and ruckus by the Opposition members resulted in disruption of the Question Hour. The House was adjourned till noon.

The House, soon after convening for the day, remembered the historic movement — 1942 Bharat Chodo Andolan, started and helmed by Mahatma Gandhi — and observed a minute of silence for the freedom fighters, pledging to uphold their guiding principles.

Soon after paying tributes to the freedom fighters, the House descended into chaos with Opposition members resorting to slogan-shouting and demanding debate on issues like alleged police excesses during the Delhi stir.

Seeking to placate the protesting members, the Speaker urged them to contribute to the House proceedings by participating in the Question Hour, but the uproar continued.

Om Birla even cited Mahatma Gandhi to support his arguments and asked the protesting members to follow his path of ‘finding solutions through dialogue’.

Emphasising that Mahatma Gandhi is revered not just in the country but globally, he asked them to follow his ideals and let the House function

“I plead before you to not disrupt the crucial Question Hour and let the House function,” the Speaker exhorted.

As his appeal went unheeded and with no let-up in sloganeering from the Opposition benches, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon.

Earlier, the Speaker told the House that on August 9, the nation will observe the 84th anniversary of Bharat Chodo Andolan (Quit India movement).

“It was on this day in 1942 that Mahatma Gandhi gave the slogan of “do or die” to resist the British regime. This movement was an affirmation of people’s unwavering faith, unconditional loyalty and devotion towards the motherland,” Om Birla told the House.

He further said that the movement played a decisive role in awakening the nation and uniting the countrymen in uprooting the British regime.

“Today, we remember and pay tributes to the freedom fighters and martyrs and, taking inspiration from their sacrifice, ideals and principles, we vow to uphold their ideals in true spirit,” he added.