Cyber Crime Wing Raids Industrialist Pawan Ruia’s Office Again in ₹315 Crore and ₹93 Lakh Fraud Cases
Rahul Verma, a co-accused in the ₹315 crore fraud, had earlier been arrested at Delhi airport on November 1 while allegedly attempting to flee to London via Dubai
Kolkata, November 12: The Cyber Crime Wing of Bengal Police conducted a second round of search and seizure operations on Wednesday at the office of industrialist Pawan Ruia, located near Park Circus, in connection with two major cybercrime investigations.
The first operation was carried out on November 6, following which a fresh raid took place this week after investigators reportedly uncovered new evidence.
Police said one team was probing an alleged ₹315 crore fraud involving Ruia and his family members, while a separate team searched the premises in connection with another ₹93 lakh cyber fraud.
In the ₹93 lakh case, Rahul Verma, a co-accused in the ₹315 crore fraud, had earlier been arrested at Delhi airport on November 1 while allegedly attempting to flee to London via Dubai. Verma was wanted for duping a Bidhannagar resident who had been lured into a fake investment scheme through a WhatsApp group promising high returns.
Based on Verma’s interrogation, investigators traced several financial links leading back to The Ruia Centre, located at 46 Syed Amir Ali Avenue, Park Circus, prompting Wednesday’s raids.
According to officials, the Cyber Crime Wing has so far identified 1,379 cybercrime cases across India that are allegedly connected directly or indirectly to Ruia, his family, and several shell companies.
Investigators revealed that funds from these fraudulent operations were routed through a complex network of 16 companies, all of which shared 11 common directors. Further scrutiny of these directors’ profiles led to the discovery of 186 shell firms suspected of being used for money laundering.
Of these 186 entities, 147 are registered under the Registrar of Companies, Calcutta, and 73 share a single address on Ezra Street, which police confirmed to be non-existent.
Authorities stated that in at least 23 cases, proceeds of the alleged fraud were transferred directly into accounts held by Ruia and his family members.
Investigators are now compiling and analysing seized data to determine the next course of action in what is emerging as one of Bengal’s largest cybercrime investigations
