A Pune Crime Branch investigation has uncovered an alleged fraud in which the 1930 National Cybercrime Helpline was reportedly misused to freeze bank accounts and extort money from account holders. The Anti-Extortion Squad has arrested Pravin Kothari in connection with the case and is investigating whether the scheme targeted multiple victims.
The case surfaced after a 42-year-old businessman from Rajkot, Gujarat, filed a complaint. On March 9, 2026, his Bank of Baroda account received 2 unexpected deposits of Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 from accounts allegedly linked to Pravin Kothari and Pushpa Kothari of Dhankawadi, Pune. The complainant said he did not know either of them. Soon after, he found that his bank account had been frozen. When he tried to contact the sender, he received no response before later getting a WhatsApp call from another number.
According to the complaint, the businessman met the accused in Pune on June 12 to discuss unfreezing his account. During the meeting, the accused allegedly displayed a “Police Friend” identity card and demanded Rs 5 lakh to resolve the issue. After consulting his lawyer, the complainant filed a police complaint on July 13. He further alleged that the accused later reduced the demand to Rs 4.25 lakh.
Police also said the accused introduced himself as a RAW (Research & Analysis Wing) officer posted in Pune and claimed he had transferred money into several people’s bank accounts before getting those accounts frozen. When the complainant offered Rs 50,000, the accused allegedly refused, claiming another person was willing to pay Rs 10 lakh for the same purpose.
The Anti-Extortion Squad arrested Pravin Kothari on Thursday and is examining the alleged misuse of the 1930 cybercrime helpline, the bank accounts involved, and the identity claims. The complainant has submitted WhatsApp chats and audio recordings to the Parvati Police Station, where an FIR has been registered under relevant BNS sections.
“We are probing whether Pravin was involved in a larger racket targeting multiple bank account holders by deliberately triggering cyber-fraud complaints,” said an officer.
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