Guwahati, 30th September: In a shocking case of fraud, renowned Padma Bhushan awardee and textile industrialist SP Oswal was swindled out of Rs 7 crore by a gang of fraudsters posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers. The scam, executed with remarkable sophistication, involved a staged Supreme Court hearing, fake arrest warrants, and a meticulously planned “digital surveillance” operation.
The elaborate fraud came to light after Oswal lodged a complaint with the Ludhiana police on August 31, triggering a thorough investigation. Two members of the inter-state gang were arrested in Guwahati, Assam, but seven other suspects remain at large, with law enforcement agencies actively pursuing them in Assam, West Bengal, and Delhi.
The scam began when the fraudsters contacted Oswal, threatening him with bogus arrest warrants purportedly issued by the Enforcement Directorate. To heighten their credibility, they presented him with a fabricated Supreme Court order, pressuring him to transfer Rs 7 crore to a fake “Secret Supervision Account.” The con artists went so far as to stage a phony online Supreme Court hearing, featuring a person impersonating Chief Justice of India, Justice DY Chandrachud, and shared the fake court order with Oswal via WhatsApp.
Although the scammers initially succeeded in transferring the funds, the police, with assistance from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, were able to recover Rs 5.25 crore, which was returned to Oswal’s bank accounts. Authorities believe this recovery is one of the largest ever for a cyber fraud case in India.
This incident underscores the growing threat of cyber fraud, even against high-profile individuals, and highlights the urgent need for enhanced vigilance and stronger cybersecurity protocols to guard against increasingly sophisticated online scams.
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