Refusal to share his mPIN cost the businessman his life.
Pune businessman Laxman Sadhu Shinde, in his early 50s, was kidnapped hours after he arrived in Patna and killed when he refused to share his mobile banking password. His body was thrown into a field in Ghosi, Jehanabad district.
An officer of the Bihar police's cyber crime cell said the initial investigation suggests that Shinde was kidnapped and killed by a cybercriminal gang.
"Soon after Shinde landed at Patna airport from Pune on April 11, a cybercriminal gang received him. Shinde was kidnapped and taken in an SUV to neighbouring Nalanda district where the cybercriminals demanded his mPIN (Mobile Personal Identification Number) to withdraw money from his bank account," the police officer told this correspondent.
"When he refused to reveal the mPIN, they severely beat him till he died."
According to police detectives involved in the investigation, the cybercriminals withdrew Rs 90,000 using Shinde's ATM card before beating him to death.
"The cybercriminals failed to get his four-digit password despite assaulting Shinde," a police officer said.
The Jehanabad police discovered Shinde's body on April 12 and informed the Patna police.
Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Avkash Kumar said a cybercriminal gang approached Shinde on e-mail and promised to help him get a multi-crore scrap deal for Coal India properties in neighbouring Jharkhand.
"It appears that Shinde was lured by the false promise of cybercriminals and arrived in Patna without suspecting a conspiracy," SSP Kumar said.
The police have arrested 11 people, including main accused Munna Mahato alias Ranjeet Patel, who posed as Shivraj Saagi while communicating with Shinde, the SSP said.
Munna alias Ranjeet was in the scrap business earlier and is said to have contacts across the country.
The police have recovered two cars, two iPhones, two laptops, six smartphones and other items from the gang.
The arrested accused, SSP Kumar revealed, were earlier involved in the kidnapping of five businessmen from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka. "But these businessmen were freed after they paid a ransom."
"It is a matter of investigation why they killed Shinde instead of demanding a ransom to free him, what caused his killing."
Investigations revealed that the kingpin of the gang, Santu Kumar of Nalanda, along with his girlfriend Sangeeta, tried money transactions from Shinde's other bank account, but could not do so in the absence of a password.
Livid, Santu and other gang members assaulted Shinde, who fell unconscious but did not disclose his bank account password.
"The police used CCTV footage to trace the car used for taking Shinde from Patna airport and later carrying his body for disposing it."
Shinde called his wife on the night of April 11 and informed her that he would be traveling to Jharkhand in a car sent by Shivraj Saagi to negotiate the scrap business. He went off the grid after the phone call.
On April 13, Shinde's brother-in-law Vishal Lawaji Lokhande lodged a missing person case at the Patna airport police station.
A senior police officer at the police headquarters in Patna said a number of such gangs are active in Patna and neighbouring Nalanda district.
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff