New Delhi [India], June 21 (ANI): The Central District Police of Delhi have busted a major online investment fraud involving nearly Rs 80 lakh and arrested two accused persons, officials said on Sunday.

The case was registered at Rajinder Nagar Police Station under Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) following a complaint from a victim who was allegedly duped through a fake stock market investment scheme.

According to the police, the complainant was lured with promises of substantial profits through purported stock market-related investment opportunities. Believing the assurances given by the accused, the victim invested around Rs 80 lakh through multiple transactions. However, neither the promised returns nor the principal amount was returned.

'A special investigation team was constituted to probe the case. The team carried out an extensive examination of bank accounts, transaction records, digital evidence and mobile data to trace the movement of the defrauded funds,' a police official said.

During the investigation, police analysed beneficiary accounts and conducted sustained technical surveillance, which helped identify the individuals involved in the fraud.

'Based on specific technical inputs and intelligence gathered during the course of investigation, accused Piyush Kumar was arrested from the hotel in New Delhi, while co-accused Jatin Khajotia was apprehended from Gurugram on June 17, 2026,' the official added.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted to gaining the complainant's trust and persuading him to invest large sums of money by promising lucrative returns through stock market and investment schemes.

Police said further investigation revealed that a portion of the money had been routed through multiple beneficiary accounts and invested in various stock market instruments.

'Based on the disclosures made by the accused, investigators successfully established the money trail and identified assets acquired through the proceeds of crime,' the official said.

As part of the recovery process, shares worth approximately Rs 25 lakh linked to the fraud have been frozen by the police.

Officials said beneficiary accounts connected to the proceeds of the crime have been identified, and efforts are underway to trace additional financial assets linked to the fraud.

Further investigation into the case is in progress. (ANI)