The case was detected in the Magarlod police station area after inputs were received through the Union Home Ministry’s coordination portal, which flagged a suspicious transaction linked to a mule account at the first layer. Investigations revealed that on January 9, 2026, an amount of ₹24,000 obtained through online fraud was credited to a Bank of Baroda account at the Megha branch in Magarlod.
Additional Superintendent of Police Shailendra Pandey said the account was traced to Dharmendra Kumar Sahu (27), a resident of Belora village under Magarlod police station limits. The victim informed police that she was approached by an unidentified person who promised to arrange a loan from “Dhanlakshmi Bank” and sought access to her mobile phone to complete the application process.
According to the complaint, the accused obtained the victim’s PhonePe password under the guise of filling out an online loan form. He then transferred ₹24,000 to his own bank account using a QR code linked to his UPI ID. Bank statements examined during the probe confirmed that the amount was received through a UPI transaction.
During questioning, the accused admitted to receiving the money on his mobile phone via QR code. Police also found that he was operating a choice centre but was not maintaining any government-mandated guidelines, transaction registers, or proper records related to financial services. His mobile phone, allegedly used in the offence, has been seized.
Based on the victim’s statement, digital transaction trails, and documentary evidence from the bank, police registered a case under relevant sections of the law. The accused was arrested and produced before the court, which remanded him to judicial custody.
Police officials said the action was part of a broader drive to curb mule accounts and online financial fraud in the district. They warned citizens against sharing OTPs, UPI passwords, or mobile access with unknown persons and urged them to verify the authenticity of online loan offers.
Authorities indicated that further scrutiny of linked accounts and digital devices is underway to determine whether the accused was part of a larger fraud network. Police said strict action would continue against those facilitating or benefiting from mule account operations.
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