Panaji: The Goa Cyber Police apprehended a 48-year-old man from Maharashtra for his alleged involvement in a major cyber fraud case amounting to Rs 61.84 lakh, police officials said on Friday.

The accused, identified as Dayanand Baburao Devalkar, a resident of Ajara in Kolhapur, was traced following an in-depth technical investigation, the office of the superintendent of police (cyber crime), Raibandar, said in a statement.

Police officials said that the funds were transferred into Devalkar’s bank account before being routed to multiple accounts belonging to his associates.

An investigation was initiated after a complaint filed by a resident of Quepem on April 13. According to the police, the fraudsters, acting as Mumbai Crime Branch officers through a WhatsApp number, allegedly threatened the complainant with fabricated allegations of money laundering linked to the banned organisation, PFI.

The accused shared fake documents, including a fraudulent bank statement and an arrest warrant, to intimidate the victim, the police said.

The complainant was subjected to a ‘digital arrest’ and coerced into transferring Rs 61,84,200 to settle the alleged case, the police statement said.

A team led by Sub-Inspector Navin Naik, alongside constables Sidaramaiyya Math and Vinay Amonkar, conducted the raid in Ajara to secure the arrest of the accused.

The investigation is being conducted by Inspector Deepak Pednekar under the supervision of Assistant Superintendent of Police BV Sridevi and Superintendent of Police (Cyber Crime) Raju Raut Desai.

This arrest follows a surge in ‘digital arrest’ scams across the coastal state.

In February, a Porvorim resident lost nearly Rs 15 lakh in a similar ruse involving fake narcotics officials. In late 2023, the Goa Police issued a public advisory after several professionals reported being held on video calls for hours by individuals posing as officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The arrested accused is being produced before the court to seek police custody.

The police are currently tracking the secondary bank accounts to identify the wider network involved in the syndicate.

Virar: The Bolinj Police have arrested a man and his second wife for the brutal murder of his first wife following a suspicion of infidelity. The accused, who had fled with two children after the crime, were apprehended in the Chikhale area of Panvel after a successful police trap.

The primary accused, identified as Munna Brahmadev Yadav (28), a native of Bihar, was working as a laborer at ‘M Tower’ in the Global City area of Virar West. He resided there with his first wife, Aarti (alias Sapnakumari, 19), his second wife, Mira, and two small children.

According to police reports, a heated argument broke out between the trio. Munna and Mira allegedly conspired to assault Aarti. During the struggle, Aarti’s head was violently slammed against a wall, resulting in severe injuries. She died on the spot. Following the murder, both Munna and Mira fled the scene with the children.

A murder case was registered at the Bolinj Police Station. Under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Prakash Kavle, special teams were formed to track the fugitives.

Police initially suspected the couple had fled to their hometown in Bihar. A team was dispatched to investigate, but the trail went cold.

Through technical analysis and information from confidential informants, the police discovered that the suspects were hiding at a construction site in Wadhwa Wise City, Panvel.

Acting swiftly, the Bolinj Police team reached Panvel and arrested both Munna Yadav and Mira.

Initially, the accused attempted to frame the death as an accident, claiming Aarti had died after falling from the building. However, under intense interrogation, the duo confessed to the crime. They admitted that they killed Aarti in a fit of rage, suspecting her of having an extramarital affair.

The successful operation was carried out by a dedicated team including Senior PI: Prakash Kavle, Sub-Inspectors: Kiran Vanjari, Vishnu Waghmode, Officers: Janardan Mate, Sandeep Mokal, Kailash Narsale, Kishore Dhanu, Vilas Pawar, Purkar, Sargar, Sandeep Shelke, Sanjay Bhoir, Namdeo Dhone, and Sohail Shaikh.

Mumbai: Azad Maidan Police have arrested a 39-year-old accused within 24 hours for allegedly robbing an Uber driver at knifepoint in broad daylight near Crawford Market in South Mumbai.

The accused has been identified as Sahil Asgar Patel (39), a clothes hawker residing at Tripti Apartment, Room No. 01, Ansari Chowk, Kalyan (West), Thane. He reportedly sells garments outside Kalyan railway station.

According to police, on April 16 at around 3:45 pm, Patel had come to purchase clothes at Crawford Market. He booked an Uber cab from outside CSMT railway station and reached the market.

After asking the driver to wait for about 15 minutes, he returned to the vehicle and allegedly threatened the driver, Ankit Fofalia (33), with a knife placed on his neck.

Under threat, the accused forced the driver to hand over Rs 18,000 in cash, a gold ring weighing around 5 grams, and also coerced him into transferring Rs 4,000 online via PhonePe.

The accused then fled the spot. A frightened driver later approached Azad Maidan Police Station and lodged a complaint, following which a case was registered under Section 309(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Police have recovered property, including Rs 2,400 cash, one used Redmi mobile phone worth approximately Rs 15,000, one used goggle worth Rs 100, and clothes worn during the crime (shirt and jeans).

Acting swiftly, under the guidance of senior officers including DCP Zone 1 Dr Pravin Mundhe, ACP Tanveer Sheikh, Senior PI Shrikant Adate, and PI Crime Amrit Pawar, a detection team led by API Liladhar Patil and API Rohit Kalubarme examined CCTV footage from the area.

The footage helped identify the suspect, who was later traced to Kalyan. A police team rushed to Ansari Chowk, Kalyan (West), and apprehended him. During a search conducted in the presence of panch witnesses, police recovered part of the stolen cash and other incriminating material. The knife used in the crime was also seized.

The accused has multiple prior cases registered against him, including cheating, theft, assault, and other offences across police stations in Karad, Palghar, and Kalyan. Further probe is underway to recover the remaining stolen property and ascertain if the accused is involved in similar offences.