Pune: ED Launches Probe Into Kharadi Fake Call Centre Scam
Pune: ED Launches Probe Into Kharadi Fake Call Centre Scam
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a parallel investigation into the recently uncovered fake call centre scam in Pune’s Kharadi area, which involved massive financial transactions using cryptocurrencies and online gift cards.
According to officials from the crime branch, which is already handling the primary investigation, the ED has collected copies of the FIR and other key documents related to the case. “We have also informed the Intelligence Bureau, as the operation had financial links both within India and abroad,” a senior officer stated.
The illegal call centre was busted in a midnight raid on May 23-24, during which 123 individuals, including 12 women, were found on the premises. Investigations revealed that 118 call centre employees were posing as officials from US law enforcement agencies, threatening American citizens with digital arrests in fabricated drug or fraud cases. Through intimidation, they extorted millions of dollars from victims.
Five individuals — Sarjitsingh Girawatsingh Shekhawat (26), Abhishekh Ajaykumar Pande (29), Shrimay Paresh Shah (31), Laxman Amarsingh Shekhawat (28), and Aron Arumugan Christian (29) — were arrested on May 24. All were residents of Kharadi for the past year and originally hail from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The police said they were the primary operators of the illegal enterprise. A manhunt is underway for three more individuals, including two main suspects.
The FIR names all 118 call centre executives. A crime branch official disclosed that the operation generated between $30,000 and $40,000 per day, prompting the ED to initiate its own investigation. Authorities have seized several pen drives and other electronic devices from the homes of those arrested, along with details of certain bank accounts to trace the money trail.
Further investigations revealed that the call centre obtained personal data of US citizens, suspected to have been purchased via the dark web to evade detection by authorities. “We believe the accused were buying data from sources abroad,” said another officer. Written scripts used by the call centre employees to deceive victims have also been recovered.
The illegal setup had been functioning since July 2024. Notably, the agreement to rent the premises was signed in Jaipur, Rajasthan, suggesting a broader interstate network behind the operation.
