Kalpetta: The Wayanad Cyber Police have arrested an Odisha native in connection with an online trading scam that defrauded a local software engineer of approximately ₹13 lakhs. The accused, Sushil Kumar Farid (31), a native of Gothgram in Satyabhamapur, Odisha, was taken into custody from Mumbai.

According to police sources, the accused established contact with the victim, a resident of Mananthavady, in March 2024 via the social media platform Telegram. Under the guise of offering paid film review opportunities, he promised attractive profits in return. Later, he manipulated the victim into investing money by falsely claiming profits could be earned through online trading platforms.

Realising that she had been cheated, the victim filed a complaint via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (1930). Acting on the complaint, the Wayanad Cyber Police launched an extensive investigation. During the probe, a Chennai-based auto-rickshaw driver named Murugan was arrested. Interrogation of Murugan led police to uncover the involvement of Sushil Kumar Farid.

Investigations revealed that the accused had travelled to Chennai, where he opened multiple bank accounts using small payments under the name of a fake company. He then linked these accounts to different phone numbers to carry out the fraud. It was through Murugan’s account that the funds were ultimately syphoned from the victim.

The police monitored Farid’s movements after he returned to Odisha. When he travelled back to Mumbai, he was apprehended while travelling in a luxury BMW at the upscale Royal Palm Estate, an area known for its premium residences.

During the arrest, police recovered the BMW car, four mobile phones, multiple SIM cards, bank account books, cheque books, and ATM cards. The Wayanad RTO (Regional Transport Office) MVI (Motor Vehicle Inspector) Padmalal also assisted the investigation by helping to verify details of the vehicle used by the accused.

The arrest was carried out by a special team led by Inspector and SHO Shaju Joseph. The team includes SI A.V. Jaleel, ASIs K. Razack and P.P. Harris, and SCPO Salam.

Investigation to Intensify

Speaking to the media, Inspector Shaju Joseph stated that more suspects are believed to be involved in the case and efforts are underway to identify and arrest them. He also confirmed that all ongoing cases at the Wayanad Cyber Crime Police Station will be pursued shortly.