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ED arrests Kolkata man in Ludhiana industrialist SP…

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activeCyber Crime / Digital ArrestWest Bengal

ED arrests Kolkata man in Ludhiana industrialist SP Oswal’s Rs 7-crore digital arrest case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested a man from Kolkata named Sohel Akthar alias Raju in connection with a major digital arrest scam involving Ludhiana-based industrialist SP Oswal, chairman of the Vardhman Group. According to investigators, fraudsters impersonating CBI officers placed the industrialist under digital arrest in August 2023 and extorted Rs 7 crore from him. The ED initiated its inquiry following an FIR registered by the Cyber Crime police station in Ludhiana, later incorporating nine additional cybercrime FIRs linked to the same network.

State

West Bengal

First reported

October 2026

Agency involved

Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Ludhiana Cyber Crime police station

Arrests

Sohel Akthar alias Raju, Rumi Kalita, Arpit Rathore, Anand Chaudhary, and Atanu Chaudhary

Status

The latest accused is in custody until October 6 for questioning; previous assets worth Rs 1.76 crore attached.

The full story

Everything you need to know about this case, in one place.

Investigators revealed that the extorted money flowed through various mule accounts operated by a coordinated network. The proceeds of crime were initially credited to specific company accounts, including M/s Rigglo Ventures Pvt Ltd and M/s Frozenman Warehousing and Logistics. The ED found that the arrested man from Kolkata acted as a principal handler who recruited individuals and arranged mule bank accounts. Other participants allegedly provided mule accounts to foreign associates in Cambodia and Vietnam in exchange for cryptocurrency commissions.

The enforcement agency conducted search raids and arrested the accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on September 28. After obtaining a transit remand from a Kolkata court, authorities brought him to Jalandhar, where a Special PMLA Court remanded him to custody. The agency has previously attached assets worth Rs 1.76 crore in connection with the case and filed a prosecution complaint against several other individuals and entities.

Not yet reported: The articles do not specify the final judicial verdicts or sentences for the accused individuals.

Where the case stands

The latest position in the reports we read.

The arrested Kolkata man has been remanded to ED custody until October 6 for interrogation, while authorities continue to trace the money trail and investigate other suspects.

Who was affected

Described in general terms; we do not name victims.

A prominent industrialist and chairman of the Vardhman Group based in Ludhiana, alongside economically vulnerable individuals whose identities were misused to open mule bank accounts.

Timeline

Key dates as reported, oldest first.

August 2023The industrialist was put under digital arrest by fraudsters impersonating CBI officers and extorted of Rs 7 crore.

December 2025Two individuals allegedly involved in controlling accounts and providing mule accounts to foreign entities were arrested.

February 19The ED filed a prosecution complaint against multiple individuals and entities and provisionally attached assets worth Rs 1.76 crore.

September 28The ED arrested the Kolkata man under the PMLA and subsequently brought him to Jalandhar on transit remand.

How the scam worked

The method described in the reports.

Fraudsters impersonated CBI officers to place the victim under digital arrest and extort money.
The illicit funds were routed through specific company bank accounts, including M/s Rigglo Ventures Pvt Ltd and M/s Frozenman Warehousing and Logistics.
The accused recruited economically vulnerable individuals with false promises of loans or employment to open mule bank accounts.
Mobile phones with pre-loaded APK applications, such as 'AMMFORWARD', were used along with linked SIM cards.
Nepal-based associates remotely accessed OTPs and SMS messages through the activated APK files to facilitate the routing of funds.
Stolen funds were moved through mule accounts in amounts ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, followed by immediate cash withdrawals.
Encrypted private messaging apps were used to share mule bank account details with foreign-based associates, and commissions were paid in cryptocurrency.

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Sources and further reading

Optional. The full story is above; these are the original reports it was prepared from.

tribuneindia.comOriginal report The TribuneOpens via Google News

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