Mumbai’s Cuffe Parade Police have busted a Bihar-based scam where fraudsters created a fake website under the guise of providing helicopter ride services for the Maha Kumbh Mela. The police have arrested five accused, including the mastermind behind the operation.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Mukesh Kumar Brijesh Kumar, Saurabh Kumar Ramesh Kumar, Avinash Kumar Kamlesh Kumar alias Bittu, Srushti Pradeep Kumar Barnawal, and Sanjeet Kumar Shailendra Mistry. While Srushti resides in Andheri's Juhu Galli near Aksa Masjid, the other four accused are from Nalanda, Bihar. Following their arrest, a local court has remanded them to police custody. The police suspect that this gang might be involved in similar fraudulent activities.
The complaint was filed by a woman residing in Colaba, who wanted to book a helicopter ride for herself and her family to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela. While searching online, she came across a website offering helicopter services. The website displayed a mobile number, which she contacted. The person on the call assured her of the service and quoted ₹60,652 for 26 people, claiming it included discounts. She was instructed to make an advance payment to confirm the booking.
Trusting the website, she transferred ₹60,652 online, believing the payment was going to the official account of Pawan Hans, a government helicopter service provider. However, the amount was instead deposited into the bank account of a woman named Sonamuni Devi.
The woman grew suspicious when she couldn’t access the website the next day. When she called the contact number, she received no response, and later, her number was blocked. Realizing she had been scammed, she approached the Colaba Police and lodged a complaint against the unidentified fraudsters. Following the complaint, police registered a case under fraud and IT Act sections. Given the seriousness of the scam linked to the Maha Kumbh Mela, senior officials directed a thorough investigation.
During the probe, police tracked the fraudulent transactions and found that the money was withdrawn from various ATMs in Bihar. CCTV footage from these ATMs helped identify the accused, leading to the arrest of Avinash Kumar from Bihar. Based on his interrogation, the police later nabbed the other four accused from different locations.
Investigations revealed that Mukesh Kumar was the gang’s mastermind and had personally communicated with the complainant. Avinash Kumar had created the fake website offering helicopter rides for Maha Kumbh Mela. Meanwhile, Srushti and Sanjeet Kumar assisted in withdrawing money from ATMs, and they also provided technical support, including handling SIM cards used in the scam. Saurabh Kumar was also actively involved in deceiving victims over phone calls.
Police suspect that this gang has duped several people using similar fake schemes. The gang is believed to be operating in Mumbai and other states, and further interrogations may reveal more shocking details.