Mumbai Crime: 27-Year-Old Man Held In Teen Suicide Case Triggered By Online Task Fraud

Mumbai: The Andheri railway police have arrested a 27-year-old man from Rajasthan for allegedly cheating a teenager in an online task scam that led to the boy’s suicide. The suspect, identified as Harish Meghwal, was traced to Madhya Pradesh and brought to Mumbai on transit remand. Distressed by the financial loss, the boy died by suicide on January 21 last year, by jumping in front of a local train at Jogeshwari railway station.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) initially registered an accidental death report. However, a subsequent forensic examination of the victim’s mobile phone revealed the digital trail of the scam. The timeline of the incident began on December 30, 2024, when Vignesh Chougule, a first-year student at Shri Mumbadevi Junior College of Commerce and Science, was contacted on WhatsApp.

Fraudsters offered him part-time work involving Google rating tasks and added him to WhatsApp and Telegram groups. To gain his trust, the scammers initially provided small commission payments for completed tasks. However, they later coerced Chougule into depositing his own money to unlock further work. According to the police, the teenager transferred approximately ₹49,000 but did not receive the promised returns.

The investigation, led by senior police inspector Nitin Londhe, traced the defrauded money to a bank account in Rajasthan. After traveling to Rajasthan, the Mumbai team discovered that Meghwal was already in the custody of the Madhya Pradesh police for separate reasons. The Andheri railway police obtained his custody through the court.

During interrogation, Meghwal allegedly admitted to allowing cyber fraudsters to use his bank account for transactions in exchange for a fee. He also identified several other suspects from Rajasthan involved in the racket. Meghwal was arrested last week and remains in police custody until March 17.

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