Chandigarh, Dec 25 (UNI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into a Rs 7 crore digital fraud involving senior executive S.P. Oswal of the Ludhiana-based Vardhman Group, carrying out coordinated searches across five states and arresting one accused in the case, officials said.
According to the ED, teams from its Jalandhar zonal office conducted searches on December 22 at 11 locations spread across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Assam. The action was taken under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, following a first information report registered by the cybercrime police station in Ludhiana.
Investigators said the fraud was carried out by individuals who allegedly impersonated as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials. Using forged documents and fabricated court papers, the accused reportedly placed the victim under what is commonly described as “digital arrest,” pressuring him to transfer large sums of money to multiple bank accounts.
The ED stated that out of the total defrauded amount, Rs5.24 crore has been traced and recovered from various accounts. The remaining funds were allegedly routed through multiple bank accounts opened in the names of labourers and delivery workers. These accounts were used to quickly move or withdraw cash to conceal the money trail.
During the probe, the agency identified a woman, Rumi Kalita, as a key facilitator in operating these accounts. Officials said evidence collected during searches indicates that she played an active role in laundering the proceeds of the fraud and received a share of the illicit funds.
Kalita was arrested on December 23 under the PMLA. She was first produced before a court in Guwahati, which granted transit remand, and was later presented before a special PMLA court in Jalandhar. The court has remanded her to ED custody until January 2, 2026.
The ED also revealed that earlier searches connected to the same case were conducted in January this year, during which several crucial documents were seized. Further investigation is ongoing to identify other individuals involved and trace additional proceeds of crime.
