Cuttack, Oct 27: The Crime Branch has arrested another accused in connection with a major online gaming fraud case in Odisha.

This marks the third arrest in the ongoing investigation into the online gaming fraud network. Two accused individuals had previously been apprehended in connection with the same case.

The case originated from a complaint lodged by a person on May 1 this year. He was duped by cyber fraudsters through an online gaming platform. The victim was persuaded to participate in trading activities on an illegal gaming site and ended up transferring a total amount of ₹1,08,79,420. Initially suffering losses, he was manipulated into investing further amounts. However, when he attempted to withdraw his funds, the fraudsters demanded additional money and ultimately refused to release the invested sum. Realizing he had been cheated, the victim lodged a formal complaint, following which the case was registered and investigated by the Cyber Crime Division.

The investigation team, led by Dy. SP Diptimayee Mallick, meticulously analyzed the transaction details and digital footprints, which led them to Nadia district of West Bengal. Acting on concrete intelligence, the team apprehended Sugata Majumder (29 years), a resident of Sukantapally village in Nadia district.

The accused, a B.Sc. graduate in Zoology and a freelancing video editor by profession, was found in possession of various incriminating materials, including mobile phones, SIM cards, hard disks, and other digital devices linked to the fraudulent activities.

Following his arrest, the accused was forwarded to the OPID Court, Cuttack under Sections 318(2)/318(4)/336(2)/338/61(2)/3(5) of BNS, read with Section 66-D of the IT Act, 2000, and Sections 4/5/6 of the Prize Chits & Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978, along with Section 6 of the OPID Act, 2011.