Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Dec 27: A gang based in Uttar Pradesh, which was impersonating as B L Santhosh, national organizing general secretary of the BJP, has been arrested by the cyber crime police of the central division here.

Ibrahim (36) and Mohammed Shokin (28) from Chowki village in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested. Five mobile phones, over ten sim cards and bank passbooks were seized from their possession.

B L Santhosh

The arrested accused had opened fake facebook accounts in the name of B L Santhosh. They then sent messages in the name of Santhosh by using Facebook messenger, seeking remittance of money to Santhosh. A person named Ajit had transferred money. The accused had sent such messages to several others and hoodwinked them. A complaint in this respect was registered in the cyber crime police station of the central division.

The duo was caught on the basis of bank account details to which the money was remitted. By tallying bank details and PIN, the real identities of the culprits were detected. They had provided an address of Chowki Bangara village near Mathura.

The Bengaluru central cyber crime police raided the spot. Out of ten, eight accused fled from the spot with the help of the villagers, it is learnt. Liaqat, mastermind of the gang, was among those who succeeded in escaping. Liaqat, who had studied up to the second PU, had taught the accused to chat in 'English.

The gang members used to open Facebook accounts in the names of IAS and IPS officers and collected bank account details from innocent people by promising to get pension sanctioned. They then used these details to siphon off money through online banking, ATM cards, and bank details.