Nearly nine months after one of India's most prominent industrialists was duped in a large-scale cyber scam, Ludhiana Police have re-arrested a key accused. The case involves 82-year-old SP Oswal, Padma Bhushan awardee and chairman of the Ludhiana-based Vardhman Group, who lost 7 crore rupees to a gang impersonating CBI officers.

In August last year, SP Oswal was contacted by fraudsters posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials. They claimed a parcel sent by his company to Malaysia was seized in Mumbai, allegedly containing 58 passports and 16 ATM cards. The scammers escalated the threat by falsely stating that arrest warrants had been issued against Oswal by the Supreme Court, creating a sense of panic and urgency.

When Oswal denied involvement, the fraudsters intensified their tactics. They conducted a Skype video call dressed as CBI officers, showed fake arrest warrants, and threatened legal action. For 48 hours, they held Oswal under digital arrest, warning him not to communicate with anyone. Under immense pressure, Oswal transferred a total of 7 crore rupees to bank accounts controlled by the scammers 4 crore in one go, and three further transfers of 1 crore each.

Following an FIR registered on August 31 under sections 308(2), 319(2), 318(4), 351(2), 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 66-C and 66-D of the IT Act, at Ludhiana Cyber Crime Police Station, authorities launched a multi-state investigation under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act. In September, key accused Atnu Chaudhary was arrested but later violated bail terms. After police submissions, the Punjab and Haryana High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.

Recently, Ludhiana Police re-arrested Chaudhary in Guwahati, Assam, alongside another accused, Anand Kumar. Both are believed to be masterminds of the cyber scam that involved impersonation and extortion through digital intimidation.

Police have identified eight more accused, most of whom are from West Bengal and Assam.

Those still at large include:

• Nimmi Bhattacharjee - Guwahati

• Alok Rangi - Malda, West Bengal

• Gulam Mortaza - Malda, West Bengal

• Sanjay Sutradhar - Hazarapur, Assam

• Rintu - Nalwari, Assam

• Rumi Kalita - Guwahati, Assam

• Zakir - Location undisclosed

Police describe the group as a "well-oiled interstate cyber fraud gang" with organized operations across states.

Police successfully recovered 5.25 crore rupees from accounts linked to the accused and returned the amount to Oswal's bank account. This marks the largest single recovery in India's cybercrime history, according to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).

Investigations have identified eight more accused, primarily from West Bengal and Assam, who remain at large. The police describe the group as a "well-oiled interstate cyber fraud gang" operating with high organization across states.