Breaking: S.P. Oswal ‘Digital Arrest’ Case: ED Raids 11 Locations in ₹7 Crore Fraud; 1 Arrested
December 25, 2025
Ikramudin / Ludhiana
In a major
crackdown linked to the ₹7 crore digital arrest fraud committed with
Ludhiana-based textile tycoon S.P. Oswal of the Vardhman Group, the Directorate
of Enforcement (ED), Jalandhar Zonal Office, conducted search operations at 11
locations across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Assam on December 22.
The searches were carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money
Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and led to the recovery and seizure of several
incriminating documents and digital devices.
The ED
initiated the probe on the basis of an FIR registered by the Cyber Crime Police
Station, Ludhiana, under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha
Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. During the course of investigation, nine more FIRs
registered by different police authorities in cybercrime cases linked to the
same group of fraudsters were also taken up as part of the investigation.
The
investigation revealed that fraudsters, impersonating officers of the Central
Bureau of Investigation, used forged official and judicial documents to place Oswal
under a so-called digital arrest and forced him to transfer ₹7 crore into
multiple bank accounts. Of the total amount, ₹5.24 crore was traced and
recovered from various accounts and transferred back, while the remaining funds
were routed through mule accounts opened in the names of labourers and delivery
personnel. The money was either further diverted or withdrawn in cash
immediately to conceal its trail.
The ED
further found that the mule accounts and their credentials were operated by
Rumi Kalita, who allegedly received a fixed percentage of the cheated amount as
her share. Evidence collected during the searches indicated her active role in
the diversion and layering of the proceeds of crime.
Kalita was arrested
under the provisions of the PMLA on December 23. The Chief Judicial Magistrate
Court, Kamrup (Metro), Guwahati, granted her four days of transit remand,
following which she was produced before the Special PMLA Court in Jalandhar.
The court remanded her to ED custody for 10 days, till January 2, 2026.
The agency
also stated that earlier searches conducted on January 31, 2025, in the same
case had resulted in the seizure of incriminating documents. Further
investigation in the matter is underway.
Sp oswal digital arrest scam ed raids vardhman group rs 7 crore fraud cyber crime money laundering pmla ludhiana
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