Ranchi Court Convicts Five Jamtara Residents in Notorious Cyber Crime Case

A special PMLA court in Ranchi convicted five individuals from Jamtara for running an organized cyber crime syndicate. The case highlighted the district’s reputation for phishing and bank scams, as depicted in the Netflix series 'Jamtara.' The sentencing will be announced on July 23.

A special PMLA court in Ranchi on Saturday convicted five Jamtara residents under the anti-money laundering law for operating an ''organised'' cyber crime syndicate, official sources reported.

A Netflix series titled ''Jamtara,'' which aired in 2020, is based on actual incidents of phone phishing and bank account scams perpetrated by criminals from this district, earning it the nickname 'cyber crime capital.'

Authorities intensified their efforts against these criminals, many of whom were young. Those convicted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) include Ganesh Mandal (51), his son Pradeep Kumar Mandal (30), Santosh Mandal (51), and his sons Pintu Mandal (33) and Ankush Kumar Mandal (27). All five hail from Mirga village under the Narayanpur police station area.

The court is expected to announce the sentence on July 23. The federal probe agency had filed a charge sheet against the accused in May 2019.

The ED imposed criminal charges under the PMLA after acknowledging a Jharkhand Police FIR and charge sheet that accused them of illegally withdrawing and transferring money from ATMs and bank accounts under the pretense of being bank officials. The ED's investigation revealed that the accused colluded with others to obtain funds in their and their family members' bank accounts by deceiving bank customers, which were then invested in real estate and vehicles.

Jamtara, located around 210 km from the state capital Ranchi, reported 76 cases of cyber crime, resulting in 187 arrests in 2021. The district saw 72 cases and over 97 arrests related to cyber crime in 2022.

(With inputs from agencies.)