Hyderabad: Chikkala Santosh Kumar, 31, who had been absconding in an online stock trading fraud case, has been arrested by Hyderabad’s Cybercrime unit. The accused is also allegedly linked to a cyber slavery network in Cambodia.
The accused is a native of Nizamabad district residing in Hyderabad. He had been absconding in a case booked against him under sections 66C and 66D of the IT Act along with sections 318(4), 319(2), 336(3), 338, and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The complainant in the case had been duped of Rs 7,27,400 after being contacted by a woman called ‘Neha’ claiming to be a Cognizant employee. She had developed a rapport with the victim through WhatsApp and lured him to invest in a fake trading platform.
Police had previously made four arrests in the case, with the accused being identified as Shaik Anwar Sayeed, Atkeshwaram Naveen Kumar, Mudikonda Nivas and Dorapally Uday.
Santosh Kumar, who was recently arrested by the police, has been accused of facilitating human trafficking under the guise of employment. According to the police, the accused Kumar used to work at an airport and had also run a consultancy which allowed him to establish contacts abroad.
He eventually started supplying people for forced cybercrime activities in foreign countries, especially Cambodia. He also used to procure and operate fraudulent bank accounts used in cyber frauds and has cases registered against him in Telangana, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
Public Advisory
Police have advised people against unsolicited investment offers received via WhatsApp, Telegram, or other social media platforms and have asked people to be wary of impersonators claiming to be from reputed companies.
Fraudsters lure in victims by showing fake profits and build trust before asking to make multiple payments under various pretexts, after which communication is abruptly cut off.
People have been asked to invest only through SEBI-registered platforms and always verify the platform’s authenticity before making any financial transactions.
Legitimate firms do not seek investments through personal links, chats, or social media DMs.
If a person falls victim to cybercrime, they are urged to report immediately by dialing 1930 or by visiting the official website.
