Pune: A social media influencer and reel creator has been arrested in connection with an alleged rs 10.74 crore “digital arrest” scam that targeted an elderly man in Pune. Police have identified the accused as Rohan Jadhav, who allegedly helped move the money through thousands of bank accounts and had links to people operating from Hong Kong.
According to investigators, the fraud took place in January 2026. A group of people allegedly contacted the elderly victim while pretending to be Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers. They told him that he was involved in a criminal case and threatened him with arrest.
The victim was then allegedly pressured into transferring his money to different bank accounts to avoid legal action. He eventually transferred rs 10.74 crore. Realising later that he had been cheated, he approached the police, triggering an investigation into the large scale fraud.
The investigation took a major turn when police traced one of the people involved in withdrawing the money through an ATM. This led investigators to three accused persons Harshad Subhash Dhantole, Samarth Suresh Deshmukh and Amar Shivaji Attargi who were subsequently arrested.
During questioning, police allege that Dhantole told investigators that the cash withdrawn from an ATM was handed over to Jadhav. Jadhav, who is originally from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, was allegedly on the run at the time.
What has particularly caught investigators attention is the sheer scale of the money trail. Police say the defrauded amount was moved through 5,436 bank accounts, suggesting that the case may be connected to a much wider financial network rather than a small group working independently.
Investigators have also found an alleged Hong Kong connection. Police said Jadhav was in contact with people there through Telegram and video calls. He allegedly carried out cryptocurrency related transactions with these contacts and received commissions for helping move money from India into foreign currency.
Jadhav is also said to have worked in celebrity management alongside his social media activities. Police froze his bank accounts and other financial sources, following which he surrendered in court, according to officials. Two cases have been registered against him one in Pune and another in Pimpri Chinchwad.
The investigation is continuing as police work to identify the wider network behind the alleged fraud and trace the money that moved through the thousands of accounts.