Kolkata: The number of arrests in the cyber forgery case related to the West Bengal government’s financial assistance for tablet purchases by higher secondary students has reached 21 as of Monday, according to state police.
The latest three arrests occurred in Siliguri, located in the Darjeeling district, one of whom is a primary school teacher from North Dinajpur district. These arrests are connected to the fraudulent transfer of funds intended for genuine beneficiaries, which were diverted to various bank accounts instead.
Recent investigations have traced the base of the cyber forgery operation to Chopra in North Dinajpur, with methods resembling those of the notorious Jamtara gang from Jharkhand, which is infamous for phishing scams and is often referred to as the “phishing capital” of India.
In response to this ongoing fraud, West Bengal Police Chief Rajeev Kumar has initiated a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the tablet scam. This team, which consists of senior police officials, is tasked with monitoring the investigation’s progress daily.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has guaranteed that students affected by this cyber fraud will receive their funds, stating that the process of transferring the money to their accounts has already begun.