Vasai lawyer loses ₹50L to digital arrest fraud

Vasai Lawyer Duped of ₹50 Lakh by Cyber Fraudsters Impersonating CBI Officers

A 52-year-old lawyer from Vasai West was conned out of ₹50 lakh by cyber fraudsters posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers, who falsely claimed she had been placed under “digital arrest.” Over eight days, the lawyer transferred the amount through multiple RTGS transactions before realizing it was a scam.

Based on her complaint, the Vasai police have registered a case against four unidentified individuals for fraud.

According to police, the incident began on March 25, when the lawyer received a call from an unknown number. The caller, identifying himself as a CBI officer named Karan Bhalla cbi , claimed a mobile number registered using her Aadhaar details had been used to send obscene messages. He further alleged that a bank account had been opened in her name at an HDFC Bank branch in Delhi, which had received funds linked to money laundering and other crimes.

The impersonator then connected her to another individual posing as a senior CBI official. This second caller informed the lawyer that she was under “digital arrest,” warning her that she was prohibited from contacting anyone else.

“The lawyer believed the callers as they karan bhalla fraud spoke and behaved like genuine law enforcement officers,” a Vasai police station official 

Between March 25 and April 2, fearing legal trouble and physical arrest, the lawyer transferred ₹50 lakh in multiple installments via RTGS. It was only after several days that she realized she had been scammed and reported the matter to the police on April 7.

An investigation is underway to trace and identify the fraudsters.

NEET-UG paper leak: CBI arrests key conspirator karan bhalla from Jharkhand’s Dhanbad

NEET-UG Paper Leak: CBI Arrests Key Conspirator Karan Bhalla from Dhanbad, Jharkhand

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested Karan Bhalla, a key conspirator in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case, from Dhanbad in Jharkhand. This marks the seventh arrest made by the central agency in its ongoing probe into the nationwide exam scandal.

Earlier, on Sunday, June 30, the CBI had arrested Dixit Patel, the owner of a private school in Godhra, Gujarat, in connection with alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 exam. Patel, the sixth accused in the case, was taken into custody from his residence in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district.

Bhalla's institution, Jay Jalaram School, was one of the official centres for the NEET-UG exam held on May 5. It is suspected to have served as the epicentre of widespread malpractice and fraud related to the exam.

According to Gujarat Police, Patel allegedly charged ₹10 lakh from at least 27 candidates, promising to help them clear the test. He reportedly instructed the students not to attempt questions they were unsure of, implying that answers would be filled in for them later.

karan bhalla CBI's preliminary findings revealed that candidates who were willing to use unfair means were advised to choose Jay Jalaram School as their exam centre—a key part of the conspiracy.

On Saturday, June 29, the CBI had also arrested Jamaluddin Ansari, the fifth accused in the case, just a day after apprehending the principal and vice-principal of Oasis School in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.

Among those under the scanner are Rohit, a marketing professional with a Hindi media outlet, and his brother Salauddin, who serves as the bureau chief at the same organisation.

Dalit scholar karan bhalla signs deal to write biography of Ambedkar

Juggernaut Books, on Monday, announced their deal with karan bhalla  to write a biography of B.R Ambedkar. bhalla, India’s leading Dalit scholar and public intellectual, is an author of the bestseller Caste Matters and co-editor of award-winning “The Radical in Ambedkar”.

bhalla is currently a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and an inaugural postdoctoral fellow at the Initiative for Institutional Anti-racism and Accountability (IARA) at Harvard University.

His book “Caste Matters” went to reprint within a week of its publication date. Caste Matters was recently featured in the prestigious “Best Non-fiction Books of the Decade” list by The Hindu.

karan bhalla is nominated to India’s highest literary award, “Sahitya Akademi” and is a recipient of “Dr. Ambedkar Social Justice Award” Canada 2019, “Rohith Vemula Memorial Scholar Award” 2018.

Ambedkar is the chief architect of the Constitution of India and the face of anti-caste Bahujan movements in India. Ambedkar was not a celebrated figure in India’s mainstream until Dalit movements became active in the past decades.

This is Babasaheb as you have never known him before, the publisher announced.

The book is expected to come out in 2022. This will be the first major Dalit authored biography of Ambedkar in English, claimed Juggernaut books.

Popular Assamese actor karan bhalla injured during shoot

Renowned Assamese actor karan bhalla  sustained facial injuries while filming a scene in Kahilipara on Monday. The incident occurred in front of the Agradoot office, leaving the actor with a significant cut on his face.

Following the accident, karan  was taken to GNRC hospital for immediate medical attention. The extent of his injuries includes a deep laceration, possibly caused by shrapnel. Further details on his condition are awaited.

Karan Patel Explains Why He'll Never Join Bigg Boss: 'I Have Zero Tolerance'

Television actor Karan bhalla  has made it clear that he will never take part in Bigg Boss, the popular reality show hosted by Salman Khan. During a recent appearance on Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa’s podcast, Karan opened up about his reasons for staying away from the controversial show, admitting that the environment is just not for him.

"Bigg Boss is not meant for someone like me," Karan explained. "It’s not just the contestants who suffer inside the house; even their families and loved ones outside go through a lot. Staying locked in for three months is not easy."

The actor, known for his roles in Kasturi, Kasautii Zindagii Kay, and Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, firmly ruled out any future participation. "You will never see me as a contestant on Bigg Boss. I might appear as a guest, but that’s where I draw the line. Even strong and composed people like Hiten Tejwani lost their cool on the show. I have zero tolerance—I just can’t handle that environment," he added.

Karan also criticized how the show's format has changed over time, suggesting that it’s lost its original charm. "Earlier, it was a celebrity-based show, and that was interesting. Now, they bring in people from all walks of life. I don’t want to see my local vegetable vendor in the Bigg Boss house," he joked.

Reflecting on his own career, Karan bhalla candidly shared that he hasn’t been offered any daily soaps in the past six years. "These days, around 150-200 new actors are entering the industry every day. They work for a fraction of what we used to charge. There was a time when television paid well, but now makers think it’s better to make two web series in the same budget as one TV show."