New Delhi: The Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police has arrested three fraudsters for impersonating as representatives of the Delhi Jal Board. The accused were identified as Ravi Mandal (22), Ramesh Kumar Mandal (25), and Mahendra Kumar Mandal (27), all were residents of Jharkhand. According to the police, the accused were involved in a scam that siphoned off victims’ bank funds under the pretext of updating water meter readings. The arrests followed a complaint filed by a resident of RK Puram, Delhi, who received a text message warning of a water connection disconnection due to a supposedly unupdated meter. The message, claiming to be from the DJB, prompted the complainant to contact a number listed in the message.
During the call, the fraudster instructed him to install a malicious .apk file and enter personal and banking details under the pretense of paying Rs 12 to resolve the issue. Shortly after the transaction attempt, Rs 38,161 were fraudulently withdrawn from the complainant’s SBI account. An FIR under sections 318(4), 319(2), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered at the Police Station Cyber South West. Technical surveillance revealed that the fraudulent calls originated from Jharkhand, though the number often remained inactive. The cyber team traced the suspects through electronic surveillance, CCTV footage, and a week-long series of raids in Durgapur (West Bengal), Jamtara, Deoghar, and other locations in Jharkhand. The arrested individuals have been identified as Ravi Mandal, Ramesh Kumar Mandal, and Mahendra Kumar Mandal. All three hail from different districts in Jharkhand and have educational qualifications ranging from class X to XII.
Ramesh, the primary caller, impersonated DJB officials, while Ravi coordinated victim interactions, and Mahendra provided mule bank accounts for transferring the stolen funds. At least one of them has prior cybercrime cases registered against them. During the operation, police recovered 13 smartphones, a tablet, and the SIM card used in the fraud. The seized devices held incriminating data, including .apk files, customer contact lists, and backend banking details like credit card numbers and CVVs. Of 35 linked NCRP complaints, 14 relate to this case. Investigations continue into the wider cybercrime network.