Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader masterminded Nainital bank server hacking

Noida, Aug 13 (IANS) In a major breakthrough for the Noida police in the Nainital Bank server hacking case, the mastermind behind the cyberattack has been arrested. 

The brain behind the hacking has been identified as Harsh Bansal, the president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Dadri.

Police are currently holding Harsh Bansal in custody, while a manhunt is underway for his brother, Shubham Bansal, a Chartered Accountant believed to be involved in the crime.

Authorities have sealed the office of the Bansal brothers in Ghaziabad and are investigating transactions exceeding Rs 30 crore linked to the fraudulent activities.

The fraud that involved the hacking of the RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement) channel, led to a loss of over Rs 16 crore to Nainital Bank in June.

The bank reported the incident in July, prompting an investigation by the Noida Cyber Crime Cell of Uttar Pradesh Police.

According to ACP Cyber Crime Vivek Ranjan Rai, the Bansal brothers and their associates ran an operation converting black money into white through fake companies.

Their firm, B Shubham & Associates, based in Ghaziabad's Loha Mandi, is under scrutiny for transactions surpassing Rs 30 crore.

During the investigation, it came to light that Shubham Bansal was responsible for moving the money from one account to another. More information about transferring money to other bank accounts and how many people were involved in the case would be revealed after Shubham's arrest.

Asked about Harsh Bansal, the District President of Yuva Morcha, Gajendra Mavi, stated that he had been expelled from the party during the 2023 civic elections for anti-party activities, though the formal expulsion letter had not been issued.

Yuva Morcha regional president Sukhwinder Som said that he was unaware of the case details but would seek a report from the local organisation.

The investigation has revealed that Rs 99 lakh was withdrawn from Nainital Bank through a fake firm, while additional transactions amounting to Rs 16 crore were done through other fraudulent accounts.

Authorities are pursuing leads on other fake companies and individuals involved. Three teams are currently searching for the remaining suspects.

Police have added Sections 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), and 201 (disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code to the case.

Earlier, a case under Sections 420 (cheating and dishonesty) of the IPC and 66C (fraudulently or dishonestly making use of the electronic signature) of the IT Act was registered at the cybercrime police station on July 10.