Rourkela, Nov 14: An MBA graduate employed at a reputed bank has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating cyber fraud by sending fake e-challan messages through WhatsApp. Posing as official traffic violation notices, the fraudulent messages were designed to trick victims into clicking malicious links, ultimately leading to unauthorised withdrawals from their bank accounts.

The accused, identified as Chetan Shahard Kurhade, was arrested in Mumbai by the Rourkela Cyber Police. He allegedly defrauded several bank account holders across five states, including Odisha, of more than ₹18.5 lakh.

During the arrest, police seized two mobile phones, more than 15 SIM cards, four credit cards and one PAN card from his possession. The accused is reportedly linked to seven cybercrime cases registered in different states.

Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani shared these details during a press conference held at the local police headquarters.

According to the SP, the complainant received a WhatsApp message at around 10:30 pm on May 30. The message closely resembled an official e-challan notification issued by the Transport Department, claiming that the recipient had violated traffic rules and was required to pay a fine of ₹500.

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However, as soon as the complainant clicked on the link provided in the message, a series of OTPs began arriving on his mobile phone. On checking his bank account, he discovered that ₹5,99,588 had been withdrawn through six separate UPI transactions.

The victim subsequently lodged a written complaint with the Cyber Police Station, following which an investigation was launched. The police eventually traced the accused to Mumbai and arrested him.

Investigators are probing his alleged involvement in similar cyber fraud cases across multiple states.