Two men were arrested from Nalanda in connection with a cyber fraud case in which the wife of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s bodyguard was duped of Rs 12 lakh through a so-called “digital arrest”, police said on Wednesday. The case dates back to 2024, when Manjit Kaur filed a complaint with the Punjab Police’s cyber cell in Patiala, alleging that fraudsters had coerced her into transferring money over the course of a week by placing her under psychological pressure and constant surveillance via digital means.
Acting on the complaint, investigators launched a technical probe that initially led to the arrest of two suspected gang members from Kolkata and Jamtara — a region often flagged for cybercrime activity. Interrogation of the accused and analysis of seized documents revealed that a portion of the defrauded money had been routed to bank accounts operated by individuals in Nalanda.
Based on these leads, Punjab Police, with assistance from local authorities, arrested Mukesh Kumar from the Laheri police station area of Bihar Sharif and Vishal Bharti from Hospital Chowk. Officials said both were allegedly part of a wider cyber fraud network and had allowed their bank accounts to be used for receiving illicit funds in exchange for a commission.
Preliminary findings suggest that the network has been involved in cyber fraud amounting to nearly Rs 5 crore across multiple states, though investigators said the exact figure is still being verified. The accused reportedly earned around 2 per cent commission on the transactions routed through their accounts.
Police sources indicated that the duo was in contact with a larger cybercrime syndicate operating out of Delhi, which coordinated the fraud operations. Authorities are now examining financial transactions, linked accounts, and possible involvement of other members connected to the network.
After their arrest, both accused were produced for medical examination at Bihar Sharif Sadar Hospital before being taken on transit remand by Punjab Police following due legal procedures.
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