Arrest of fraudsters offering gold at attractive prices helps police bust major racket - The HinduPublished - June 02, 2026 09:26 pm IST - MYSURUThe mobile phones recovered by Mysuru district police through the Central Equipment Identity Register portal being handed over to their owners by Superintendent of Mysuru District Police Mallikarjun Baladandi in Mysuru on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: M.A. SriramThe arrest of two fraudsters, who cheated a jeweller from K.R. Nagar in Mysuru district by offering to sell him gold at an attractive price, has helped the Mysuru District police unearth a major racket.According to Superintendent of Mysuru District Police Mallikarjun Baladandi, a complaint was filed by a gold trader from K.R. Nagar, Jitendra Kumar Khandelwal, that unidentified persons had contacted him through WhatsApp in the last week of January 2026 and convinced him that they would be able to supply gold at a price that is ₹600 less per gram than the market price. Believing them, the complainant transferred ₹13.69 lakh to their bank account towards the purchase of 100 grams of gold. “However, the accused neither supplied the gold nor returned the money, thereby cheating him.” Mr. Baladandi said.Based on the complaint, a case was registered under Section 66(2) of the Information Technology Act and Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.The investigation led to the identification of Amit Singh from Punjab, and Yatin Ramesh and Mohammed Shadab Anjum from Maharashtra. A team led by Inspector Sunil S.P. traced Yatin Ramesh and Mohammed Shadab Anjum in Maharashtra and arrested them, while Amit Singh continues to elude arrest.Meanwhile, the investigation further revealed that the accused had opened 56 bank accounts using documents obtained from members of the public, and a total of 196 cybercrime complaints have been registered against these accounts in various states across India. “The accused are suspected to have perpetrated cyber frauds amounting to approximately ₹189.49 crore,” according to a statement here by the Mysuru District police.Mobile phones recoveredMeanwhile, the Mysuru District police have recovered a total of 173 mobile phones during May, which were handed over to the owners at a function in Mysuru on Tuesday.A statement here said that a total of 263 complaints were received on the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), which is a portal developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that helps in blocking and tracking lost or stolen mobile phones.Deputy Superintendent of Cyber Crime, Mysuru, Srikanth R., who is also the nodal officer for the CEIR portal, coordinated with the Station House Officers across the district for tracing the 173 mobile phones, collectively valued at around ₹35 lakh.“Citizens are therefore advised to register complaints on the CEIR portal immediately after losing their mobile phones,” the police said in its statement here.Published - June 02, 2026 09:26 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }