Uttarakhand Police have apprehended a 35-year-old man from Durg district in Chhattisgarh, who is accused of defrauding a retired Subedar Major of the Army Medical Corps out of ₹34.17 lakh through a deceptive foreign investment scheme. The suspect, Har Vilas Nandi, is believed to be the orchestrator of an international cybercrime syndicate, as outlined by the cyber cell of Uttarakhand Police.
During the investigation, law enforcement recovered various forms of foreign currency from countries including the UAE, Oman, and the USA. Additionally, authorities found personal identification materials such as an Aadhaar card, PAN card, ATM card, a UAE resident card, and a mobile phone in Nandi’s possession.
Investigations revealed that Nandi had spent a decade residing in Dubai, where he had established his Facebook and email accounts. His email, linked to a bank account, was reportedly managed from the Philippines. Authorities traced the embezzled funds to his accounts, which were subsequently withdrawn in Dubai. According to Senior Superintendent of Police (Special Task Force) Navneet Singh Bhullar, Nandi’s account reflected over ₹3.46 crore in transactions within just one month and was associated with at least 37 complaints of cybercrime registered across the nation. Furthermore, Nandi allegedly compensated Chhattisgarh laborers between ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh for the use of their bank accounts in fraudulent transactions.
For an extended period, Nandi managed to evade capture, reportedly hiding in the Naxal-affected Dantewada region. He was eventually tracked down through technical surveillance and arrested in Bhilai. Following his apprehension, he was brought to Dehradun on a transit remand.
The case originated in 2024, when the retired Subedar Major filed a complaint asserting that he had fallen victim to a fictitious foreign investment entity called Apollo India Private Equity (IV) (Mauritius) Ltd, which he discovered on Facebook. The victim was approached by a woman pretending to be a trading assistant, alongside a man acting as a customer service manager, who convinced him to invest through multiple transactions.
A figure referred to as “John Peter Hussain” was even introduced as a mentor, conducting trading sessions to build trust with the victim. Through diligent collaboration with banks, service providers, and Meta, investigators identified Nandi as the primary suspect, unveiling the fraud’s extensive cross-border operations spanning Dubai and the Philippines.
Police officials have stated that this arrest represents a significant achievement in the fight against organized cybercrime networks that specifically target vulnerable individuals, including ex-servicemen, throughout India.
