The accused, identified as Gopi Ram Devangan, a resident of Sonia Gandhi Nagar, Zone-01, Sector-11, Khursipar in Bhilai, had opened an account at the Jana Small Finance Bank’s Supela branch. Investigators said Devangan was fully aware that the account would be used for cyber fraud but still allowed it to be operated by unidentified fraudsters in exchange for monetary gain.

According to police, the fraudulent transactions were detected through an acknowledgment number issued by the Home Ministry’s cyber coordination mechanism, which shares real-time intelligence with state police on suspicious banking activity. Acting on the information, Supela police verified the account details and traced the beneficiary to Devangan.

The investigation revealed that on December 26, 2024, a total of ₹8,12,253 was credited into the account through online fraud. Officials said the amount originated from several victims who were cheated through different cybercrime methods. By allowing his account to be used as a conduit, Devangan allegedly attempted to derive illegal financial benefits, police said.

A police officer associated with the probe said mule accounts play a critical role in cyber fraud networks. “Such accounts are used to park or move stolen money quickly, making it difficult to trace the main perpetrators. Account holders who knowingly facilitate this are equally culpable,” the officer said.

Based on the findings, Supela police have registered a case against Devangan under Sections 317(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deal with cheating and dishonest inducement for wrongful gain. The accused has been taken into the ambit of investigation, and further legal action will depend on evidence gathered during the probe.

Police said they are now examining bank transaction records, digital footprints, and communication links associated with the account to identify other members of the cyber fraud network. Authorities have also cautioned citizens against sharing bank accounts, ATM cards, or credentials with unknown persons, warning that doing so can attract serious criminal liability.

The case highlights the growing challenge of mule accounts in cybercrime and the increasing use of inter-agency digital coordination to track financial fraud across states.