Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Director General of Police, Arun Dev Gautam, has submitted a report to a Delhi court in connection with allegations that IPS officer Rahul Bansal and two others accepted a bribe to halt an investigation into a cyber-fraud, court records show.
Allegations and the underlying fraud
The case relates to a complaint registered last year at Chhattisgarh’s Ambikapur Cyber Police Station. The complainant alleged he had lost money across 84 transactions through two fake trading platforms, prompting a police probe that eventually expanded into what investigators describe as a sophisticated, multi-state cyber-fraud network.
A team led by Bansal, a 2022-batch IPS officer, investigated the matter and filed a chargesheet against 23 people last year. The police probe purportedly revealed an alleged internationally operated organised cyber-fraud, with investigators saying the operation used numerous fake portals and served thousands of users.
Bribery claim and court action
The complainant later approached a court after perceiving inaction by the Chhattisgarh Police and the CBI. In the complaint filed before the Ambikapur police, it is alleged that the officer, through two other policemen, demanded a bribe of ₹1.5 crore to stop further investigation. The allegation further states that ₹1 crore was paid.
“The allegations are baseless. The complaint is currently before the court, and I have complete faith in the judicial process and the law,” Bansal said in response to the charges.
Following the complaint and subsequent proceedings, the DGP submitted a formal report to a Delhi court that is hearing related matters. The CBI court has since continued to examine aspects of the present matter, including the conduct of police officers involved in the Ambikapur case.
Police perspective and outstanding suspects
Sarguja Range Inspector General of Police, Deepak Kumar Jha, described the cyber operation as a "sophisticated, multi-state, internationally operated organised cyber-fraud syndicate" and identified two key suspects as Anshul Ginotra from Haryana and Garvit Jain from Delhi. Both are reported to be absconding and non-bailable warrants have been issued against them.
Investigators say the alleged fraud used at least 38 fake trading portals serving 19,340 users, according to police sources. Arrests connected to the broader fraud probe totalled 23 individuals.
- Primary allegation: Demand and receipt of bribe to stop investigation (claimed ₹1.5 crore; ₹1 crore allegedly paid).
- Investigation outcome to date: Chargesheet against 23 people in the cyber-fraud case.
- Outstanding suspects: Two named individuals with non-bailable warrants.
Legal and procedural posture
The matter remains sub judice and is under judicial consideration in a CBI court in Delhi. The submission of the DGP’s report indicates state police engagement with the court process on the bribery allegation. Bansal has publicly denied wrongdoing and said he will rely on the judicial process to establish the facts.
Officials have said they are looking into the bribery charges even as the broader cyber-fraud inquiry continues. The presence of interstate and international elements in the alleged fraud has been cited by police to explain the scale and complexity of the probe.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Chargesheeted | 23 people |
| Alleged bribe demanded | ₹1.5 crore |
| Alleged bribe paid | ₹1 crore |
| Fake trading portals used | 38 |
| Reported users targeted | 19,340 |
The case highlights two concurrent strands: the substantive probe into a large-scale cyber-fraud affecting thousands of users, and separate but connected accusations that members of the police force sought to impede that inquiry for payment. How courts adjudicate the bribery allegations will determine whether further departmental or criminal proceedings follow against the policemen named in the complaint.
For now, the judicial process continues in the CBI court and law-enforcement agencies have said they will pursue both the cyber-fraud perpetrators and any credible leads on corruption within the investigating team.
