(Image source from: Facebook.com/vardhmantextileslimited)
A criminal impersonating the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, a fake online courtroom, and documents resembling official ones were part of the elaborate scheme that led SP Oswal, the head of the Vardhman Group, to be scammed out of Rs 7 crore. Mr. Oswal, the chairman and managing director of the textile manufacturer, was digitally "arrested" on August 28 and 29 and forced to transfer the money into multiple accounts. The police have managed to freeze these accounts and recover over Rs 5 crore so far. The 82-year-old industrialist explained how the scammers convinced him that he was under investigation for a money laundering case. Mr. Oswal said he received a phone call on September 28 (Saturday) and was told that his phone would be disconnected unless he pressed the button '9'. After pressing '9', a voice on the other end claimed to be from the CBI's Colaba office and mentioned a mobile phone number registered in his name, stating that someone had taken the connection by misrepresenting him. Mr. Oswal was also informed about a Canara Bank account in his name.
The scammers who contacted Mr. Oswal through a video call claimed that an account in his name was involved in financial wrongdoings related to the case against Naresh Goyal, the former chairman of Jet Airways who was arrested for money laundering. They told Mr. Oswal said that he was a suspect in this case, but he informed them that the account was not his and he did not know Naresh Goyal. The officials said the account had been opened using Mr. Oswal's Aadhaar details, and he explained that he had shared his details when traveling with Jet Airways. The officials then told Mr. Oswal that his documents might have been misused. They said he was a suspect until their investigation concluded and that he was in digital custody, but they would try to protect him and asked for his full cooperation, which gave him some confidence that they would eventually clear him. During the video call, a man identified himself as Rahul Gupta, the chief investigating officer, and sent Mr. Oswal a set of surveillance rules.
They instructed me to write a letter requesting a priority investigation, which I did. The fraudsters pretending to be officials recorded my statement. They asked me about my personal background, education, and business beginnings. They inquired about my property information. I told them I couldn't recall all the details, but I would provide the information after speaking with my manager. Mr. Oswal said he was under video surveillance 24/7. He would let them know whenever he left his room and take his phone with him so they could see him. They told him he cannot discuss this matter with anyone because it is under the National Secrets Act. They said he and whoever he spoke to could be jailed for 3 to 5 years.
The scammers posing as investigation agency officials were in casual clothes and wore ID cards around their necks, Mr. Oswal said. In the background, an office with the Indian flag could be seen. During the video call, the elderly man was also shown a fake courtroom and a person pretending to be the Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, heard his case and issued an order. This order was then sent to him via WhatsApp. After this, he was asked to deposit ₹7 crore in separate accounts. A fake arrest warrant served to Mr. Oswal has the Enforcement Directorate's logo and stamps of ED and Mumbai Police. It also bears the signature of someone named Niraj Kumar, identified as ED's assistant director. A real arrest warrant issued by the ED does not have the Mumbai Police's stamp.
The document appeared to be an official Supreme Court order, with revenue stamps, the court's seal, and the bar association's stamp. It had a barcode and digital signature, typical of genuine court orders. The petition claimed the case involved "Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud vs Shri Paul Oswal." The victim, Mr. Oswal, said he was intimidated and reassured that he would be protected. The police filed a case on August 31 after his complaint. With help from the cybercrime center, three accounts receiving the stolen money were frozen, and Mr. Oswal recovered ₹5.25 crore, the largest recovery of its kind in India. The police discovered an interstate gang was behind the crime, and two accused, Atanu Chowdhury and Anand Kumar, small traders from Guwahati, Assam, were arrested. Anand Kumar told the police he needed the money.
He was supposed to receive a portion of the funds. "I was given 9.2 crore rupees in my account, even though we had agreed on 2 crore rupees." The police are now searching for the other suspects, including the alleged ringleader and former bank employee Rumi Kalita. The other suspects are Nimmi Bhattacharya, Alok Rangi, Gulam Murtaza, and Zakir.
