Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad Police Take Custody Of Accused In Rs 82 Lakh Cryptocurrency Fraud

Pimpri Chinchwad, 10th January 2025: Pimpri Chinchwad Police recently took custody of two accused who had duped a citizen of over Rs 82 lakh. During the investigation, it was revealed that Thane Police had apprehended the accused earlier, but custody was later transferred to Pimpri Chinchwad Police. Additional details are being sought as more involvements have already been uncovered. The Cyber Police Station is handling this case.

The accused, now in the custody of Cyber Police, are identified as Avinash Singh and Ravi Shankar Ram Kumar Thakur. A case has been registered against them for cheating, criminal breach of trust, and common intention under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita of 2023 and the Information Technology Act of 2000.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sandeep Doiphode, who heads the Crime Branch, provided information about the case. A complaint was filed at the Cyber Police Station against two individuals for coercing people to invest in a cryptocurrency called ‘Coin’. The complainant was allegedly induced to invest Rs 82.27 lakh with promises of a 10% return every 10 months and a full refund after 5 years.

During the investigation, Pimpri Chinchwad Police learned that the accused, Avinash Singh and Ravi Thakur, had already been arrested by Mumbra Police Station under Thane Police and were in judicial custody at the District Central Jail in Thane West. Pimpri Chinchwad Police secured their custody for interrogation.

The interrogation revealed that Singh and Thakur allegedly acted in collusion with Coin Company owners Rahul Khurana and Tarun Trika. The investigation into their involvement is ongoing. Pimpri Chinchwad Police have urged citizens who may have invested money with the accused Singh and Thakur to visit the Cyber Police Station at the PCMC Office in Chinchwad. They have also cautioned the public against trusting such schemes to avoid financial losses.

This action was conducted under the guidance of Pimpri Chinchwad Commissioner of Police Vinoy Kumar Choubey, Joint Commissioner of Police Dr Shashikant Mahavarkar, Additional Commissioner of Police Vasant Pardeshi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Doiphode, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime 1) Dr Vishal Hire. The operation was carried out by the Cyber Police Station team, led by Senior Police Inspector Ravikiran Nale, in charge of the Station.