‘All states v/s Ajay K Investigation’ — How one Bengaluru ‘con man’ eluded police across India

For the Bidhannagar Police, the arrest — linked to a fraud case under probe since July — was a major breakthrough. A BTech dropout, Ajay is believed to have befriended victims, defrauded them of their possessions, and disappeared without a trace.

Sometimes, he even allegedly couriered the stolen items back to their owners, says a Bidhannagar officer. He always used new aliases, forged IDs afresh, and operated with a new SIM card.

He faces 11 FIRs across eight states — West Bengal, Sikkim, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana and Kerala — and Puducherry. Of these, three are in Karnataka and one each in the others.

Police in West Bengal, Karnataka, and Kerala claim he invested his stolen money in cryptocurrencies.

“Ajay’s main motivation was a severe gambling addiction, funding his habit on platforms like 1X BET and dealing in Bitcoin,” says a senior Bidhannagar Police officer. “His multi-state crime spree included high-profile thefts in Salt Lake, Kolkata, and Dwarka, Delhi.”

The con

Born to a Telugu-speaking family from Andhra Pradesh, Ajay spoke five languages — Kannada, Telugu, English, Hindi, and Nepali. Those who met him describe him as “a slick talker.”

“He came across as naive and soft-spoken. We arrested him in December 2024 and sent him to prison,” one officer says. “He was eventually released on bail. We didn’t realise he was also wanted in other cities.”

Ajay has been arrested four times, including the latest one. He  allegedly targeted people in hostels or guesthouses, introducing himself as a designer for upscale retail brands. After gaining their trust, he would allegedly wait until they were asleep, then steal phones, laptops, and credit cards to buy luxury items — from gold to iPhones — which he later sold.

He was also allegedly extremely cautious, using multiple phones and making all bookings online.

Sometimes, he even allegedly couriered the stolen items back to their owners, says a Bidhannagar officer. He always used new aliases, forged IDs afresh, and operated with a new SIM card.

He was also allegedly extremely cautious, using multiple phones and making all bookings online.

“His success lay in his ability to perform. He used apps to forge Aadhaar documents but always kept the same photo. He is intelligent, calm, composed, and maintains a studious look to befriend people,” the officer says.

One of his victims, PR Eshwar Abhishek, met Ajay on January 6, 2024, at a hostel in Bengaluru’s BTM Layout. Abhishek, a 29-year-old software professional, was his dorm-mate.

Since both spoke Telugu, they quickly bonded, and Ajay invited him to a movie after work the next day.

“He looked younger than me, and I decided to accompany him,” Abhishek tells The Indian Express.

That, Abhishek now believes, was a mistake — it allowed Ajay to learn his iPhone passcode. That night, while Abhishek slept, Ajay stayed awake. When he woke up, his phone, laptop, and wallet were gone — along with Ajay.

The family says they have not heard from him in two years, even when his mother died in 2023. Meanwhile, his “crimes” have brought them trouble.

Within an hour, Abhishek lost Rs 3 lakh — Rs 2 lakh spent on an iPhone via his credit card and another Rs 1 lakh withdrawn from his account.

To make matters worse, Ajay allegedly used his phone to send messages seeking money, prompting Abhishek’s family and friends to transfer Rs 5 lakh.

“By the time I blocked my cards, I had lost Rs 8 lakh without knowing it,” Abhishek says, adding that he filed a case only this year.

On February 4 that year data analyst Viral Mehta met Ajay at a hostel in Pune. That night, his wallet and phone were gone, with CCTV showing Ajay leaving pretending to collect food delivery.

Within minutes, Viral lost Rs 26.97 lakh through six credit cards. Among the items allegedly purchased were at least 12 mobile phones and gold ornaments.

Now, Viral is battling the aftermath — bank notices.

“I filed a police complaint and informed all the banks within 48 hours as prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India. But the banks have threatened to take away my property and have issued garnishee orders. I’m in big trouble,” he says.

The catch

The Bidhannagar Police had been tracking Ajay following a complaint from Vinay Kumar on July 29. Vinay said the suspect stole his phone, wallet, and laptop from a guesthouse they both stayed in and “duped him of around Rs 50 lakh.”

On October 25, a week after he landed there, Ajay was arrested in Kochi’s Ernakulam following an alert from the Bidhannagar Police. (Special Arrangement)

To find Ajay, police relied on a WhatsApp group — ‘All States v/s Ajay K Investigation’ — where officers from multiple states shared leads and updates. The group was formed in August – soon after the Bidhannagar case.

“On this group, we found Ajay K had FIRs everywhere, but no one knew where he was,” says the Bidhannagar officer.

On October 25, a week after he landed there, Ajay was arrested in Kochi’s Ernakulam following an alert from the Bidhannagar Police.

The arrest came two months after a cheating case in Munnar, Idukki, based on a complaint by a Tamil Nadu IT professional who accused him of swindling Rs 2.4 lakh. Ajay had been released on bail after a few weeks in jail.

“Ajay was staying at a resort near Munnar, where he met the victim. After getting acquainted, he fled with his gadgets, ATM card, and phones, and eventually siphoned off Rs 2.4 lakh,” one officer said.

On October 25, the Bidhannagar Police got an alert that Ajay had been detained in Kerala.

“The picture matched, but it was still a challenge to confirm if he was the same person. After thorough technical surveillance, we confirmed it was Ajay Kurapati,” the officer said, adding that he had plans to head to Ranchi when arrested.

A BTech dropout, Ajay is believed to have befriended victims, defrauded them of their possessions, and disappeared without a trace. (Special Arrangement)

‘Bright child gone rogue’

In Bengaluru’s middle-class neighbourhood of Channasandra, Ajay’s estranged family describes him as “a bright child gone rogue.” Born to a garbage truck driver and a homemaker, Ajay’s beginnings were modest, although his father ensured his children were never deprived and sent them to private schools, says his older brother Akhil.

“He was one of the brightest students,” Akhil says. “He is two years younger than me. He scored 84 percent in Class 12 and, even though he failed one subject in first-year BTech, he still topped the class.”

During his BTech course, Ajay allegedly began gambling online, taking loans from classmates and faculty to fund his addiction.

“Later, we found that he invested it in online gambling and lost the money,” a former classmate says.

Soon, Ajay’s visits home became infrequent, though he occasionally returned to ask his father for money to repay debts. Eventually, he dropped out and stopped visiting altogether.

The family says they have not heard from him in two years, even when his mother died in 2023. Meanwhile, his “crimes” have brought them trouble.

“We can’t hold up our heads because of him. Whenever there’s a cheating case, the police visit us. I’ve even been accused of taking money from my brother. But when they don’t find anything, they leave,” Akhil says.

–With inputs from Shaju Philip in Thiruvananthapuram