5,435 bank accounts, Hong Kong connection: Social media influencer arrested in fraud case

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 13, 2026: A social media influencer, who allegedly played a key role in a digital arrest fraud by duping an elderly man of over Rs 10 crore a few months ago, has been arrested in Pune.

According to officials, the influencer - identified as Rohan Jadhav - surrendered in court after the cops froze all his bank accounts and financial sources.

The incident reportedly took place in January this year when a group of fraudsters posed as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers and contacted the elderly man. They told him that he was accused in a case and threatened him with digital arrest. Under the pretext of avoiding legal action, the fraudsters asked him to transfer Rs 10.74 crore in different bank accounts.

The victim then approached the police after he realised he had been defrauded.

The Pune police tracked down the accused after one of them withdrew money from the ATM.

Subsequently, three people -  Harshad Subhash Dhantole, Samarth Suresh Deshmukh, and Amar Shivaji Attargi - were arrested.

During investigation, Dhantole revealed that he had given the withdrawn money to Jadhav - who was on the run.

Jadhav, originally from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, had transferred the defrauded Rs 10.74 crore amount to a total of 5,436 bank accounts. He was in contact with individuals in Hong Kong through the Telegram app and frequently spoke with them on video calls, the investigation revealed.

Police said that Jadhav conducted financial transactions with his Hong Kong handlers using digital cryptocurrency, and he received substantial commissions for transferring money from India to foreign currency.

Jadhav, an influencer, also worked in celebrity management, officials said.

Two cases have been filed against Jadhav - one in Pune and another in Pimpri-Chinchwad.