Delhi Police have busted a major cyber fraud network involved in transactions worth over Rs 30 crore as it arrested seven people in connection with an online shopping scam that came to light following a complaint by a Delhi University student, officials said on Monday.

The investigation began after Fatima, a student of Ramjas College at Delhi University and a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, reported being cheated of Rs 6,450 through an Instagram shopping advertisement. The complaint was registered on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), following which an FIR was registered at the Cyber Police Station, North District, on September 4.

According to the complaint, the student came across an advertisement for a kurti on an Instagram account named ‘Kavya_kurti_hub’. She was redirected to a WhatsApp number, where she placed an order worth Rs 799 and paid Rs 400 in advance through a QR code.

Subsequently, she received a call regarding parcel delivery and was asked to provide a passcode. The seller then induced her to make additional payments on the pretext of generating the code and processing a refundable charge. She transferred Rs 1,150, Rs 2,000, Rs 2,650 and Rs 650 in separate transactions. However, neither the parcel was delivered nor the money refunded.

During the investigation, police analysed nearly 200 mobile numbers, IMEI numbers, banking transactions, and digital records obtained from platforms and service providers, including Flipkart, Zomato and Blue Dart.

The investigation traced the cheated money through Pine Labs Merchant to a Canara Bank account linked to Kizentech Solutions Pvt. Ltd. in Greater Noida.

Following extensive technical surveillance, police conducted coordinated raids in Greater Noida on October 16 and arrested six accused: Aditya Mishra, Ayush Verma, Abhishek Pal, Himanshu Rana, Rahul Kumar, and Gaurav Pandey. Another accused, Udit Pratap Singh Bhadauriya, was arrested from Kanpur on October 21.

Police said the investigation had so far linked 27 cyber fraud complaints from different states to the network. Approximately 25 bank accounts allegedly opened in the names of fictitious firms and individuals were found to have been used to route the proceeds of cybercrime.

During interrogation, investigators found that the accused allegedly established firms and opened current bank accounts, which were subsequently supplied to other members of the syndicate for monthly payments and commissions. Pandey, an MBA graduate, allegedly played a key role in arranging and supplying bank accounts to cyber fraudsters.

Police also recovered 20 mobile phones, 45 SIM cards, 39 point-of-sale (POS) machines, 33 debit cards, 28 cheque books, 15 scanners, two laptops, five stamps, seven Aadhaar cards, five PAN cards and 21 bank-related documents.

The operation was conducted by a team led by SI Arvind Yadav under the supervision of senior North District police officers.

Police said further investigation was underway to identify additional members of the network and establish links with other cyber fraud cases.

As the INDIA Bloc plans to organise a mega rally on November 1, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is launching a month-long counter-offensive starting the same day with synchronised ‘padyatras (foot marches)’ led by top political figures.

This campaign is being organised to counter the INDIA Bloc’s scheduled ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ mega rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 1.

Top Ministers and Chief Ministers from the BJP-ruled states will be deployed across the country to participate in the ‘padyatras’.

BJP National President Nitin Nabin is likely to participate in some of the events.

Additionally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to participate in a ‘padyatra’ in Hyderabad on November 2 and in Haryana on November 5.

The INDIA Bloc has announced the mega gathering to protest against the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the alleged irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The Opposition leaders have also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the allegations of “vote chori”.

Earlier, Delhi Police issued a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) clearing the security and traffic coordination for the event from October 25 to November 3.

However, the scheduled event has triggered a massive row. The BJP is heavily targeting the Congress-led Opposition alliance by pointing out that November 1 marks the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh violence in Delhi.

Additionally, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has written to Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, urging them to postpone the rally until after November 10, given the festive season.

Kharge has acknowledged that some traders had submitted a memorandum regarding the matter and clarified that a final decision on the next steps would be taken only after consultations with the Congress party and its allies in the INDIA Bloc.

The traders’ body welcomed the Congress President’s statement on the proposed rally, describing it as a ray of hope for the city’s trading community.

A 60-year-old man and his 33-year-old son died after two slabs of a building collapsed at Milan Garden in the Harsh Vihar area of Northeast Delhi, officials said on Monday.

The deceased have been identified as Chanderpal, 60, son of the late Nanak Chand, and his son Vijay Kumar, 33, residents of Gali No. 14 in Harsh Vihar.

According to officials, the two men were trapped under the debris after the building collapsed on Sunday evening.

During the overnight rescue operation, both were pulled out from beneath the rubble and rushed to Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead.

Two fire brigade vehicles, two ambulances and a crane were deployed at the site to assist in the rescue operation. Civil Defence volunteers and a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also reached the spot.

Rescue teams cleared the debris and searched the collapsed structure to locate those trapped underneath. The operation continued overnight as emergency personnel worked to remove the rubble.

The incident occurred when a new floor was being constructed above an old house. During the construction work, a portion of the existing roof reportedly gave way, causing the slab above it to collapse as well.

The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) had earlier said that it received information about the incident at 6.40 p.m. on Sunday, following which two fire tenders were dispatched to the spot.

Delhi Cabinet Ministers Kapil Mishra and Ashish Sood also visited the site to assess the situation.

Officials said the rescue operation was still underway and that legal action under the relevant provisions of law was being initiated.

Further investigation into the incident is in progress to ascertain the circumstances that led to the collapse.

The incident has raised concerns over safety during construction work, with authorities investigating the cause of the collapse.

Earlier in October, a portion of a multi-storied building collapsed in north Delhi’s Seemapuri area, with many feared trapped under the debris, officials said.

The Delhi Fire Service had sent two fire vehicles to the spot.