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20th FEBRUARY, 2025
Mumbai: The Cuffe Parade Police have busted a gang that deceived people by falsely promising helicopter rides over the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Five individuals, including the gang leader, have been arrested. The accused have been identified as Mukesh Kumar (28), Saurabh Kumar (25), Avinash Kumar (21), Srishti Barnwal (21), and Sanjit Kumar Mistry (24). While four were arrested in Bihar, one female accused was apprehended in Mumbai.
According to the police, the gang ran an online fraud scheme using fake websites and QR codes to lure victims into booking helicopter rides for the Mahakumbh Mela. The case came to light when a woman filed a complaint with the Cuffe Parade Police, stating that she had been duped while trying to book a ride.
The complainant, identified as Ms. Kothekar, searched for "Mahakumbh Helicopter Ride" on Google and came across a website (https://mahakumbhhelicopterservice.online). Upon contacting the scammers, they convinced her to book a ride at a discounted rate. Trusting their offer, she transferred ₹60,652. However, when she realized the payment had been made to a private bank account instead of the government-owned Pawan Hans Ltd., she grew suspicious. Soon after, she discovered that the website had vanished.
Another victim, Sankalp Jagdale from Colaba, also fell prey to the same website. Following multiple complaints, the police launched an investigation and traced the fraudulent transactions to multiple ATMs in Bihar Sharif.
By coordinating with Bihar Police, the Cuffe Parade team obtained CCTV footage from the ATMs where the stolen money was withdrawn. Based on this evidence, they first arrested Avinash Kumar. During interrogation, he revealed that the mastermind behind the scam was Mukesh Kumar, who had created the fake website.
Acting on this information, the police tracked down Mukesh Kumar and Saurabh Kumar, arresting them on the Danapur-Secunderabad Express at Nagpur station. Further investigation led to the arrest of Srishti Barnwal in Mumbai, who was responsible for illegally procuring SIM cards used in the scam. Another accused, Sanjit Kumar, who facilitated the transportation of these SIM cards to Bihar, was also arrested.
The investigation revealed that the gang had been running this scam since the beginning of the Mahakumbh Mela, targeting unsuspecting devotees. The police are now working to identify additional victims who may have been defrauded.
