Police in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, have arrested six people in a case of alleged interstate extortion.
Three minors have also been detained.
Police say the gang used AI tools and digital arrest tactics to harass and extort money from people.
The case began with the suicide of a 56-year-old woman from Jhalawar city.
Police registered the case on November 1 after her daughter filed a complaint.
Police say she consumed poison after being caught in an online fraud.
Key points
- Six people, including four women from Bihar, have been arrested.
- Three minors have been detained and sent to a juvenile shelter home.
- Police allege the gang used fake AI videos, forged papers and threats to target the woman.
- The investigation is continuing, and the gang's money trail is being checked.
How did the gang allegedly target the victim?
Police say the gang ran a fake old coin business on social media. It promised to buy rare coins at very high prices.
After taking registration fees, it kept asking for more money.
When the woman fell into debt, police say the gang used artificial intelligence to scare her.
It allegedly sent a video made with AI and threatening voice notes.
Police also say the gang created fake hospital bills, edited police photos and a forged Delhi Police letter.
It also threatened to get her son arrested. Police say she took her life after these threats.
How did police trace the gang to Bihar?
Jhalawar Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar said a Special Investigation Team was formed.
The team studied call records and bank trails. These led police about 1,500 kilometres away, to Bihar.
With help from the Bihar Police, teams arrested the alleged mastermind and five others.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
The accused come from Saharsa, Madhepura and Khagaria districts.
What happens next in the case?
The court gave police three days of remand for the six adults. The three minors were sent to a juvenile shelter home.
Police are now checking bank accounts that were used to move the money.
These are known as mule accounts. They were flagged on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
The police say the investigation is still going on.
Explainer
What happened before
- On November 1, police registered a case in Jhalawar after the daughter of a 56-year-old woman filed a complaint.
- A Special Investigation Team was then formed to probe the case and its money trail.
Why it matters
The case shows how digital arrest scams and AI-based blackmail can target ordinary people with fake police papers and threats.
What to watch next
- The six adults were sent to three days of police remand, and the three minors were sent to a juvenile shelter home.
- Police are still checking bank accounts linked to the gang.
