New Delhi, June 11: The Cyber Police Station of South District, Delhi Police, has successfully busted an organised interstate cyber fraud syndicate involved in operating fake online helicopter booking websites and cheating unsuspecting travellers.

Three accused persons have been arrested in the case, and significant digital evidence, along with electronic devices, has been recovered.

A complaint was received from a victim who was cheated of Rs 20,328 on the pretext of booking travel services through fake websites, namely irctc-helicopter.com and irctc-heliyatra.com. These websites were designed to resemble genuine travel booking portals to deceive users.

Based on the complaint, FIR No. 30/2026 dated May 21, under Sections 318(4), 61(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), was registered at PS Cyber South District, and an investigation was initiated.

A dedicated team comprising SI Ashish, Head Constables Praveen, Vikas, and Vinod, Constables Praveen Joon and Sultan, conducted the investigation under the leadership of SHO/Cyber South, Inspector Hansraj Swami, and under the overall supervision of Additional DCP (Operations), South District, Arvind Kumar.

During the investigation, police carried out a detailed analysis of the money trail, bank account details, domain registration records, Gmail accounts, IP logs, and technical data obtained from service providers such as Hostinger and Google.

The analysis led to the identification of individuals operating the fake websites and associated digital advertisements. Based on technical surveillance and local intelligence inputs, accused Omprakash Kumar and Rohit Kumar were arrested from Bihar’s Nalanda.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed the involvement of co-accused Shreyansh Tiwari alias Shivam, who was identified as the developer and manager of the fake websites. He was subsequently arrested from Greater Noida.

Investigations revealed that the accused were running fake travel booking portals and promoting them through paid advertisements on Meta (Facebook), targeting individuals searching for travel-related services online. Their digital network has been linked to approximately 30 NCRP complaints registered across various states and Union Territories, involving a total cheating amount of nearly Rs 10 lakh. The involvement of another associate, Anurag, a resident of Nalanda, is also under verification.

The accused created fake travel booking websites that closely resembled legitimate platforms and promoted them through paid social media advertisements. Victims searching online for travel bookings were redirected to these fraudulent websites and were induced to make payments for bookings.

After the initial payment, victims were further pressured to make additional transfers on the pretext of processing refunds, confirming bookings, registration charges, or other fabricated reasons. The cheated funds were routed through mule bank accounts and various digital payment channels to conceal the money trail.

During the operation, police recovered several incriminating items from the possession of the accused, including eight mobile phones, two laptops, and a 10th-generation iPad. Officials also seized multiple ATM and debit cards allegedly used in the commission of cyber fraud. In addition, Rs 20,328 was marked as a lien in a bank account linked to the case. Investigators further recovered substantial digital evidence and electronic records connected to the fraudulent activities, which are being examined as part of the ongoing probe.

Of the arrested accused, Omprakash Kumar has a previous involvement in a criminal case, as per FIR No. 06/2022 registered under Sections 420/34 of the IPC at PS Cyber North-West Delhi. Rohit Kumar has no previous criminal involvement reported so far, nor does the third accused, Tiwari, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur.

Further investigation is in progress to identify additional associates and dismantle the complete network behind the fraud.

Mumbai, June 10: The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has launched a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanding the immediate expulsion of Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan from both the State Cabinet and the party.

The Congress accused Mahajan of making “anti-national” remarks and “insulting the bravery of the Indian Armed Forces” during his recent visit to Punjab.

The controversy erupted after Mahajan attended the 42nd anniversary commemoration of ‘Operation Blue Star’ on June 6 at the Damdami Taksal headquarters in Chowk Mehta of Amritsar.

Attending the event as a representative of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mahajan termed June 6 a “kaala din” (black day), strongly condemned the 1984 military action, and criticised the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for “forcibly” sending the Army into the sacred shrine.

Reacting sharply to the developments, MPCC President Harshwardhan Sapkal termed Mahajan’s statements “highly irresponsible” and detrimental to national interest.

“By questioning Operation Blue Star — a mission undertaken to safeguard the country’s unity and national security — he has effectively undermined India’s fight against terrorism,” Sapkal said on Tuesday.

“Girish Mahajan, who has taken an anti-national position, should be immediately removed from the Maharashtra Cabinet as well as from the BJP.”

Countering the Minister’s narrative, Sapkal emphasised that ‘Operation Blue Star’ was a necessary military action against armed Khalistani separatists conspiring to break up India, rather than an action against any religion.

“The Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi took this tough decision despite being fully aware that it could endanger her own life, prioritising the unity and integrity of the nation above all else. Subsequently, she was assassinated by Khalistani extremists. Maharashtra’s son, General Arun Kumar Vaidya, who led the operation, was also targeted and assassinated by terrorists. Girish Mahajan’s remarks amount to disrespecting the sacrifices made by these great individuals,” he said.

Sapkal claimed that Mahajan’s remarks have exposed the “anti-national mindset” of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying that the country could have faced disintegration had the military operation not been carried out.

He also brought up the historical involvement of top security officials to highlight the contradiction in Mahajan’s stance on Tuesday.

“Notably, the country’s current National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, was also involved in security operations related to this mission. Will Girish Mahajan now condemn his role as well? Does he have the courage to demand Doval’s removal from the post of National Security Advisor?” Sapkal asked.

He took severe exception to Mahajan comparing the Indian military operation to the historical invasions of Ahmad Shah Abdali, accusing him of attempting to generate sympathy for terrorists and glorifying Khalistani separatist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, whose photos were displayed on the stage backdrop at the event.

The MPCC Chief has now placed the onus on the top brass of the state and Central governments to clarify their stance.

“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis must clarify whether sending a state representative to an event glorifying Bhindranwale reflects the official policy of the Maharashtra government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah must state whether they agree with Mahajan’s position. If the leadership does not align with Minister Mahajan, they publicly condemn his remarks and tender an apology to the nation and the Indian Armed Forces,” he demanded.

Sapkal concluded by alleging that the BJP leadership appears willing to compromise on national security, sovereignty, and unity for the sake of “vote-bank politics,” adding that Mahajan must immediately apologise to the country and its soldiers for his remarks.

Patna, June 9: A Patna court on Tuesday granted interim relief to popular educator Faisal Khan, widely known as Khan Sir, by staying his arrest in connection with the recent coaching centre firing case.

The District Judge’s court pronounced its order on Tuesday after reserving its verdict on Khan Sir’s anticipatory bail plea following a hearing on Monday.

While the court has not yet granted anticipatory bail, it has directed the police not to take any coercive or punitive action against him until further proceedings.

The court has also sought the case diary and details of Khan Sir’s criminal history from the investigating agency. The matter will now be heard again on June 30.

Seeking the case diary and the accused’s criminal record is a routine judicial procedure while considering an anticipatory bail application.

Although the bail plea remains pending, the stay on arrest has provided major relief to Khan Sir, who had been facing the possibility of immediate police action.

After the court order, Khan Sir’s counsel, Advocate Arvind Kumar Mahuar, told media that Khan Sir is now free to move around wherever he wants as the court has given him protection from the arrest.

The case stems from an incident that occurred on the night of June 2, when unidentified individuals allegedly attacked Khan Global Studies, the coaching institute run by Khan Sir in Patna.

Following the incident, police arrested Roshan Anand, the owner of Gyan Bindu Coaching Institute, and sent him to judicial custody.

The controversy intensified after a video surfaced showing two security guards allegedly firing shots into the air outside the coaching institute during the attack.

The police subsequently arrested both guards and lodged a case against them. Later, Khan Sir was also named in the case.

Police registered an FIR against Khan Sir under provisions related to attempted murder and the Arms Act. Since the registration of the case, he had reportedly remained out of the police’s reach.

Law enforcement officials had visited his coaching institute in an attempt to apprehend him, but he was not found there.