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Rs 22 cr cyber fraud: Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana bank accounts used as mules

Police have also found accused Sunilkumar's “visiting card” in Nade's possession. A probe is on to determine the financial transactions between all eight accused and whether they are part of a larger syndicate, police said.

4 min readFeb 14, 2026 08:31 PM IST

Police have so far arrested eight persons including mule account holders and mule handlers in this case.

A probe by the Pune city police revealed that bank accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana were allegedly used as mules in a cyber crime in which a Pune based 85-year-old man was duped of Rs 22 crore.

Police said this is one of the biggest individual cyber frauds in Pune. The victim, who is a retired industrial consultant now residing in Pune, is a native of Haryana. He lodged the first information report (FIR) at Cyber police station in Pune city on January 19, 2026. Police have so far arrested eight persons including mule account holders and mule handlers in this case.

Police said around October 25, 2025, online fraudsters contacted the victim, assuring high returns on investments in share market trading. The fraudsters then added the victim in a WhatsApp group called Special Training Team B.
The fraudsters also collected personal, financial details of the victim, while making him download a fraudulent application on his cell phone. Under the instructions of the fraudsters posing as stock market experts, the victim went on transferring money into different bank accounts as investment in share trading, hoping to get huge profits.

Police said between October 27 and January 9, the fraudsters received a total of Rs 22,03,22,22,742, through 80 online transactions, from the victim and wife’s account. The fraudulent application was showing that the victim gained Rs 45 crore. But when he tried to withdraw the money, the fraudsters demanded Rs 4 crore more. Police said the victim realised this time that he was cheated, only after losing his life savings in the cyber scam.

During investigation, police arrested Sunilkumar Surendra Singh (51) of Ambarnath in Thane, on February 6. Next day, Akash Marathe (27), Lala Umap (26), Parmeshwar Dabhade (23), all from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district were arrested. Then, on February 11, police arrested four others identified as Sahil John Shrisundar (22), Vishwajeet Khandare (21), Abhijit Nade (21) and Dishant Kamble (22), also from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.

As per a submission made by the police in court while seeking custody of the accused, the victim’s money was fraudulently transferred into seven bank accounts. Further, the money from these mule accounts was transferred to several other bank accounts. Police told the court that as per details obtained from National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), the seven mule accounts were used for approximately 80,000 fraudulent bank transactions.

Police further submitted that bank accounts of the accused Marathe, Umap and Dabhade were opened under the Pradhan Mantru Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) at the Bank of Maharashtra (BoM), University Branch, in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. Police said they were probing Setu Centre in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, which was used to open the said PMJDY bank accounts.

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The police probe revealed that Umap and Dabhade gave their “bank account kit (ATM, Passbook, Internet Username and Password)” to Sahil Shrisundar, who further transferred the “kit” to Khandare, who again passed it on to Nade. Police said Nade gave the “kit” to Kamble.

Police have also found accused Sunilkumar’s “visiting card” in Nade’s possession. A probe is on to determine the financial transactions between all eight accused and whether they are part of a larger syndicate, police said.

Investigation into cell phone records of accused Sunilkumar and Marathe revealed that money received in mule accounts was withdrawn using ATM cards and further sent “forward” through “hawala” transactions, police told the court. Police are also investigating the CCTV footage obtained from different ATM centres from where the accused persons are suspected to have withdrawn the money.

Also, police said that some money received from the victim has been transferred to other countries, which is being investigated. Police are also investigating the mobile phone numbers and WhatsApp group used by the online fraudsters, who are yet to be identified. The police have managed to freeze Rs 3.28 crore of the total amount transferred by the victim.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry. 1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases “Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025) Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025) After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital. “A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train. “No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025) Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence. 2. Inter-state firearms racket "Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025) "Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025) An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country ‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025) Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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