Mumbai: In a four-year-old cyber fraud case wherein a city-based police officer lost ₹2.99 lakh after a call regarding PAN and Aadhaar card updates, the metropolitan magistrate court, Girgaon, has acquitted the accused from Jharkhand.

The court held that the mere receipt of funds suspected to be proceeds of cybercrime is insufficient to establish guilt without additional credible evidence.

It noted that the complainant, Priyanka Pawar transferred the money after providing an OTP, which does not constitute a criminal offence by the recipient, Manoj Kisku, 23. While the court observed that the man cannot be held criminally liable, it noted that civil liability may exist.

Pawar lodged a complaint with the South Cyber police station, claiming that on February 26, 2022, she received a call from an individual posing as a bank representative. The caller instructed her to update her PAN and Aadhaar details via a link. Upon clicking the link, ₹99,986 was transferred from her account. She later provided an OTP, leading to further debits totalling ₹2.99 lakh.

The investigation identified that the mobile number belonged to Rauf Ansari, while the funds were credited to the account of Kisku, a resident of Jamua, Jharkhand.

The court observed that the prosecution failed to establish a criminal conspiracy or a direct connection between Kisku and Ansari, noting that the mobile number used for communication was registered in Ansari’s name, yet Ansari had not been arrested. “It appears that the investigating officer had not arrested Ansari. Besides, the prosecution had not adduced direct or any circumstantial evidence on record, which could reflect that there was criminal conspiracy of the accused with Ansari,” the court stated.

Mumbai: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police on Monday registered a fresh case of alleged cheating, criminal breach of trust, and criminal conspiracy against former directors and officials of companies linked to the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG).

According to police officials, the accused allegedly obtained a bank loan of ₹150 crore and later diverted the funds for purposes other than those for which the loan was sanctioned, eventually defaulting on repayment. This is the second FIR registered following a complaint filed by Axis Bank against companies associated with the ADAG group.

An EOW source said the latest case was registered at Cuffe Parade Police Station on the complaint of Prakash Prabhakar Rao, Vice-President of Axis Bank. Rao had earlier lodged another FIR in March this year against several ADAG-linked firms and their directors on similar allegations.

The FIR names the then whole-time director of Reliance Home Finance Limited (RHFL), former directors of beneficiary companies within the ADAG group, and other concerned company officials.

Police officers said the alleged offence took place between January 2010 and November 2019. Investigators suspect that the accused, in connivance with former directors of the company, entered into a criminal conspiracy to defraud the complainant bank and cause wrongful financial loss.

According to police sources, the accused allegedly submitted forged documents, furnished false financial information, and made misleading disclosures regarding the financial condition of RHFL to secure the loans. The funds were then allegedly diverted to accounts of other affiliated group companies.

Officials further said that the EOW is examining the financial trail and the role of various company officials in the alleged diversion of funds. Earlier, on March 12 this year, the EOW had registered another case on similar grounds against companies linked to the Anil Ambani group.

Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested the main accused in the Byculla firing case linked to the attack on Sameer Mohammad Asif Khan alias Sameer Sheikh, the son of alleged D-Company gangster Asif Sheikh alias Asif Dadi.

the main accused has been identified as Saif Mastan. He was arrested in West Bengal after remaining absconding for several days. The firing targeted Sameer Sheikh over an alleged financial dispute.

Earlier, on May 13, within 24 hours of the firing, the Mumbai Crime Branch had arrested two other accused from Mahim. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the firing case. The suspects, identified as Zeeshan Anwar Sheikh (30) and Sadik Sheikh Liyakat Sheikh (30), were arrested by Crime Branch officials from the Mahim Dargah area.