Igatpuri Fake Call Centre Case: Proxy SIM Trail Points To Alleged Police Link

Mumbai, July 3, 2026: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has widened its probe into the alleged nexus between police personnel and operators of a fake call centre busted in Nashik's Igatpuri in August 2025. Investigators are now examining an alleged covert communication network built around proxy SIM cards purportedly issued in the names of unsuspecting citizens, officials familiar with the investigation told the Free Press Journal.

Probe Focuses On Proxy SIMs

According to officials, the agency has in recent weeks recorded the statements of several individuals whose identity documents were allegedly stolen or exploited to procure SIM cards. Investigators suspect the temporary connections were distributed among police personnel under the scanner to maintain untraceable, ghost communication with the syndicate's key operators, including accused Vishal Yadav and absconding mastermind Sandeep Singh.

The proxy SIM network was used to coordinate protection arrangements, facilitate the collection and delivery of alleged protection money, and conceal the identities of the police personnel involved by avoiding the use of their official or personal mobile numbers. Officials said the communication system was allegedly designed to ensure that, in the event of a raid or criminal investigation, no direct digital footprint or Call Detail Record (CDR) linkage could be established between the fake call centre syndicate and the police personnel under the scanner.

Sources said the CBI is now mapping the specific roles of at least seven police personnel whose names have surfaced during the investigation. According to officials, investigators are corroborating witness statements with digital evidence, including CDRs and other electronic data, to reconstruct the alleged chain of coordination between the syndicate and the police network, officials said.

Investigators Reconstruct Conspiracy

Describing the alleged modus operandi behind the so-called "khacha" SIM cards, temporary or proxy mobile connections, officials revealed that several of the SIM cards allegedly used by the police personnel identified during the investigation are now inactive and are suspected to have been destroyed after use to eliminate evidence. Investigators believe the arrangement was designed to eliminate any traceable digital trail that could link the syndicate to the police personnel under scrutiny. This, officials said, allowed any subsequent allegations to be dismissed for lack of corroborating electronic evidence.

According to officials, the agency is reconstructing the alleged conspiracy in reverse, working backwards on the basis of digital evidence seized during the August 2025 Igatpuri raid to trace the syndicate's earlier operational base in Palghar, where investigators allege the network functioned for nearly three years before shifting part of its infrastructure to Nashik in June 2025. Officials clarified that the Igatpuri unit operated for only 48 hours before it was dismantled. However, investigators believe it represented only the latest operational base of a much larger syndicate allegedly previously centred in Palghar.

The agency is also examining developments after the crackdown. Sources said some police personnel posted in Palghar during the relevant period later retired, proceeded on medical leave, or were transferred to other districts in Maharashtra. The agency is examining whether these developments bear any relevance to the ongoing probe.

Layered Communication Network

A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said cybercriminals typically procure SIM cards using forged identities through vendors. In this case, however, some SIM cards were allegedly issued using identity documents of economically vulnerable individuals, including daily wage workers and members of tribal communities, after inducements such as promises of government benefits, assistance in opening bank accounts, or small payments.

Investigators said the communication system operated in layers. While the fake call centre allegedly used VoIP services and virtual numbers to contact overseas victims, a second "recovery line" was allegedly used for handling protection money. In this layer, suspected police personnel allegedly used keypad phones fitted with proxy SIM cards instead of official numbers.

Also Watch:

Sources added that those police officials involved were aware of call detail record analysis and mobile tower mapping techniques. To avoid detection, they allegedly ensured that devices using proxy SIM cards were not active at the same time as personal phones, reducing the risk of co-location-based forensic tracing.

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/