In a major breakthrough, Maharashtra’s Nodal Cyber Police have arrested the prime accused in a ₹6 crore cyber fraud case while he was attempting to flee India via the Indo-Nepal border. The accused, Govind Bankaya Dantri, alias Steve, Honey Bhaiya, Lucky, and Ashu Paji (40), was apprehended by immigration authorities at Raxaul, East Champaran, Bihar.
Dantri, originally from Jharkhand, had been on the run since 2024 and was reportedly living in Thailand before attempting to cross into Nepal.
Court Custody Till August 30
The accused was produced before the Esplanade Court today, which remanded him to police custody till August 30.
According to police, Dantri is the key conspirator in a cybercrime registered last year, where he and his associates duped a 62-year-old retired chief engineer from Punjab of ₹6 crore.
Fraud Through Fake Share Trading App
The gang operated a fraudulent investment racket through a fake trading application called “Sharekipo App”, which lured victims with promises of high returns.
Victims were persuaded to invest in the share market after receiving links that redirected them to the bogus app. Police said fake returns were displayed on the app to induce further investments, leading the victim to transfer a massive ₹6 crore to accounts controlled by the fraudsters.
Money Laundered Through Crypto Channels
Investigations revealed that the cheated funds were routed through multiple bank accounts and converted into cryptocurrency via platforms like Binance.
Earlier, police had arrested five co-accused—Rohit Jathar, Abdul Wahab, Piyush Kumavat, Balaji Shemshare, and Maruti Lal Sahu—and recovered ₹46 lakh from their accounts.
Mastermind Behind 18 Mule Bank Accounts
Police said Dantri was the mastermind, facilitating at least 18 mule bank accounts through co-accused Maruti Lal Sahu, and installing apps like SMS Forwarder and SMS Sender to intercept OTPs.
He allegedly managed fund transfers and organised the financial backbone of the fraud. A Look Out Circular (LOC) and a warrant under Section 83 CrPC were issued against him.
On August 25, immigration officials detained him while he was trying to enter Nepal. He was handed over to Raxaul Police and later taken into custody by Maharashtra Cyber investigators.
Larger Syndicate Under Scanner
Dantri is also suspected to be involved in creating the Sharekipo app and operating a vast network of agents across several states, responsible for sourcing mule accounts and executing financial transactions.
With his arrest, police expect major breakthroughs in dismantling the syndicate, which has several accused already behind bars while others remain at large.
