The Maharashtra government has taken steps to combat the rise in investment-related cybercrimes, including arrests, enhanced cybersecurity measures, and public awareness campaigns.
Maharashtra Cyber will summon YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia again in connection with a case registered against him concerning his remarks on comic Samay Raina's web show 'India's Got Latent.' Allahbadia failed to appear before the agency on Thursday, and was also asked to remain present at the Khar police station after he failed to appear, an official said. The agency has so far summoned at least 50 persons to record their statements in connection with the case, including actor Raghu Ram, who was questioned on Thursday. Raina is scheduled to record his statement on February 18.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that over 91,000 missing girls have been traced and reunited with their families in the state over the past 13 years. Improvements in tracking mechanisms, police response, and criminal justice reforms have contributed to this success.
Social media influencer Allahbadia is likely to appear before the city police in a day or two.
A 45-year-old man in Thane, Maharashtra, died by suicide after being blackmailed by cyber criminals who threatened to circulate morphed obscene photographs of him on social media. The victim had been forced to transfer large sums of money before his death.
Delhi Police arrested 27 individuals across 11 states for involvement in cyber fraud cases exceeding Rs 1.5 crore, uncovering a network engaged in various scams including investment fraud and social media impersonation.
The Maharashtra government sanctioned over Rs 1 crore for development works at a temple linked to Ashok Kharat, a self-styled godman accused of rape, in 2018. The funds were approved under the regional tourism development scheme. Kharat was arrested on March 18 after being accused of repeated rape.
Police in Gadag, Karnataka, have arrested five men for allegedly luring students with false promises of scholarships to open bank accounts for illegal transactions.
A 42-year-old insurance consultant from Mumbra, Thane, was allegedly defrauded of over 71 lakh by cyber criminals through a cryptocurrency investment scheme.
A 64-year-old man from Thane was allegedly defrauded of 1.56 crore by cybercriminals using a 'digital arrest' scam, involving forged documents and constant surveillance.
Maharashtra Cyber has issued advisories to various state government departments, including police, to take precautionary steps to avoid cyber attacks after the credentials of many of these departments were found on the darknet. The departments include the Maharashtra Public Service Commission, the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR), the Electricity Department, Maha DBT, among others. Maharashtra Cyber has also written to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) recommending blocking of Wikipedia and Proton Mail platforms under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act for failing to comply with specific police directives.
Of these only 150 attacks were successful, officials said on Monday.
The SIT investigating self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who faces multiple rape accusations, has made significant breakthroughs.
Thane police have arrested CoinDCX co-founders Sumit Gupta and Neeraj Khandelwal in connection with an alleged fraud of Rs 71.6 lakh. The company claims the FIR is false and a conspiracy against them.
A Pune-based businessman has accused self-styled godman Ashok Kharat of defrauding him of Rs 6 crore (600,000) under the guise of helping him establish a logistics business abroad. This is the eighth case registered against Kharat, who is already in police custody on separate charges.
Podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, whose crass remarks on a YouTube show kicked up a row, has said in his statement before the Maharashtra Cyber that he committed a 'mistake' by making controversial comments, officials said.
YouTubers Ranveer Allahbadia and Ashish Chanchlani appeared before the Maharashtra Cyber on Monday to record their statements in connection with the India's Got Talent case. Maharashtra Cyber is probing an obscenity case registered against Allahbadia and others over alleged obscene remarks during the show on YouTube.
The Mumbai Police has assured the Bombay High Court that it will act promptly on cyber fraud complaints and sensitize all police officials to ensure prompt action and FIR registration when such complaints are filed. The assurance came after a city-based woman filed a petition alleging that the local police failed to act swiftly on her cyber fraud complaint, resulting in a loss of Rs 45 lakh. The court has directed the Additional Director General of Police (Maharashtra Cyber) to appear before it on April 22 to inform the bench on the formation of the Maharashtra Cyber Security Corporation.
Mumbai police have arrested six individuals from Gujarat, dismantling an interstate cyber fraud gang involved in digital arrest scams, including one where a businessman was defrauded of Rs 58 crore.
In the latest case, the fraudsters, posing as personnel of the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation, contacted the businessmen between August 19 to October 8 and claimed his name had cropped up in a case of money laundering.
Podcaster Allahbadia's remarks on parents and sex on comedian Samay Raina's YouTube show 'India's Got Latent' triggered a controversy and several FIRs have been lodged against him and others in various parts of the country.
The Maharashtra Cyber Department has summoned over 40 individuals, including social media influencer Ranveer Allahbadia, to investigate a case registered concerning his controversial remarks on a YouTube reality show, "India's Got Latent." The cyber police have issued notices to Allahbadia, other participants, and judges involved in the show, following complaints about obscene language used during the episodes. While no one has appeared yet, some lawyers have requested more time from the police. The department has also asked the show's producers to remove all episodes from social media platforms. Meanwhile, Khar police in Mumbai are investigating a separate complaint filed by a local BJP functionary regarding the controversy, recording statements from several individuals, including Allahbadia's manager. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also issued summons to Allahbadia, other participants, and the show's producers to appear before it in New Delhi.
The Maharashtra Cyber division has issued a notice to the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization behind Wikipedia, demanding the removal of "objectionable" content related to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj from the online encyclopedia. The notice, issued under the Information Technology Act, claims the content is inaccurate and lacks proper references, potentially inciting communal hatred. The move follows recent claims by various organizations about the existence of defamatory information regarding Sambhaji Maharaj on Wikipedia, particularly in the wake of the Hindi film "Chhava", based on his life. The Maharashtra Cyber has directed the Wikimedia Foundation to remove the content promptly and prevent its re-uploading.
Following the violence in Nagpur, Maharashtra's Cyber department has identified over 140 posts and videos on social media platforms that incite communal unrest. These posts, found on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube, are being removed, and legal action is being taken against the individuals responsible. The department is also investigating the origins of the violence, which was triggered by rumors of a religious artifact being burnt during protests.
Maharashtra Cyber has registered a case against at least four editors of Wikipedia for not taking down 'objectionable' content on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj from the open source encyclopedia, officials said on Friday.
The Supreme Court has allowed podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia to travel abroad after the Assam and Maharashtra governments said the investigation against him was complete. Allahbadia, known as BeerBiceps, was booked for his comments on parents and sex on comic Samay Raina's YouTube show "India's Got Latent".
Akshay Kumar shared a disturbing incident where his daughter was asked to send a nude photo while playing an online video game, highlighting the dangers of cybercrime and the need for cyber safety education.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's 'X' handle was hacked, with images of Pakistan and Turkey flags posted. The account was recovered in 45 minutes. Congress leader Nana Patole raised concerns about cyber security.
Maharashtra Cyber, which is probing the case tied to the YouTube show 'India's Got Latent', has summoned actor Rakhi Sawant to record her statement, officials said on Friday.
Senior citizens are particularly vulnerable due to their high savings, trust in authorities, and limited familiarity with online frauds.
NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar demonstrated the preparation of a fake Aadhaar card in Donald Trump's name and its use to register bogus voters.
Ayodhya resonated with devotional fervour on Tuesday morning as thousands of devotees streamed into the temple town ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to ceremonially hoist a saffron flag atop the Ram temple, marking the formal completion of its construction.
The Supreme Court has allowed podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia to travel abroad after the Assam and Maharashtra governments said the investigation against him was complete. Allahbadia, known as BeerBiceps, was booked for his comments on parents and sex on comic Samay Raina's YouTube show "India's Got Latent".
Maharashtra's cyber police have registered a case against popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee after a parody account allegedly posted a fake message on X about Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's daughter, a senior official said on Saturday.
Mumbai Police has asked podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia to appear before them on Saturday as part of a probe into his controversial remarks on a YouTube show, as he did not turn up during the day.
Maharashtra Cyber, a nodal agency for cyber security and investigation for the state, has asked different social media platforms to delete at least 36 "offensive" posts found circulating in the wake of alleged communal incidents in Tripura, an official said on Wednesday.
For the first time, the Data Security Council of India assembled a joint task force to source threat intelligence at the origin and ensure coordinated action across the cybersecurity spectrum.
The Mumbai Police have recorded statements from four individuals, including social media influencer Apoorva Mukhija, in connection with controversial remarks made by Ranveer Allahbadia on the YouTube show "India's Got Talent." The controversy erupted after a video of Allahbadia's comments sparked debate on freedom of speech and decency. The Maharashtra Cyber Department registered a First Information Report against the show, and a BJP functionary filed a complaint alleging offensive language targeting disabled persons. Allahbadia has issued an apology, but the issue has gained significant attention, prompting calls for regulation of social media and an NCW summons to those involved.
The official said the Khar police have been unable to contact Allahbadia, popular on YouTube for his 'BeerBiceps' channel, as his phone is switched off.
Podcaster Allahbadia's remarks on parents and sex on comedian Samay Raina's YouTube show India's Got Latent triggered a controversy and several FIRs have been lodged against him and others in various parts of the country.
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