Cyber Slavery Accused Held in Stock Scam

Hyderabad: Cyber Crime Police of Hyderabad arrested Chikkala Santosh Kumar, aged 31, in connection with a stock trading fraud and his alleged role in cyber slavery operations spanning across India and abroad. He was absconding in Crime No. 2395/2024, registered under relevant sections of the IT Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The accused, a resident of Warasiguda and native of Nizamabad district, was apprehended for facilitating fraudulent investments through a fake trading platform catalystmarketsfx.com which duped a complainant of ₹7,27,400. The complainant was initially approached by a woman named Neha who gained his trust through WhatsApp communication. She lured him to invest, showed fictitious profits, and coerced him into paying repeated charges under the pretext of taxes and fees. After realizing the deception, a case was filed and investigation led to the accused.

Accused Linked to Cyber Slavery and Foreign Syndicates

Investigations revealed that Santosh Kumar previously worked at an airport and later opened a consultancy firm. During overseas visits, he developed contacts and began supplying individuals to foreign fraud networks under the pretext of offering jobs, particularly to Cambodia. There, individuals were reportedly forced to work in cyber fraud call centres.

The accused acted as an account supplier and operator, procuring multiple Indian bank accounts and handing over credentials to foreign syndicates. These accounts were used for illegal fund transactions, and Santosh reportedly earned commissions for each setup.

Earlier, four other accused in the same case were arrested in Hyderabad: Shaik Anwar Sayeed, a B. Tech student; Atkeshwaram Naveen Kumar, an auto driver; Mudikonda Nivas, a delivery boy; and Dorapally Uday, a private employee. Santosh Kumar is reportedly involved in six cases across India, including in Telangana, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.

Seized items include 24 debit cards, 15 mobile phones, 7 cheque books, 5 passbooks, 2 tablets, a laptop, and 3 shell company stamps.

Police teams led by Inspector M. Seetharamulu, under the supervision of ACP Jaypal Reddy and ACP R.G. Siva Maruthi, made the arrest. Citizens are advised to remain vigilant against unsolicited investment offers, particularly on WhatsApp, Telegram, and social media platforms, and to report cyber frauds to 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in for timely action.