A 48-year-old man, Vivek Sabhrewal, who holds an MBA degree and previously worked at a bank, was arrested on Sunday night from the Burari locality in Delhi. His arrest was made by officials from Bandra police station in connection with a cyber fraud case involving the late Maharashtra minister, Baba Ziauddin Siddique.
Siddique was shot dead by two assailants on October 12, 2024. Following his death, his family decided to keep his mobile number active. His wife, Shahzeen Siddique, was designated as the authorised signatory of the number after completing the necessary formalities with the mobile service provider.
On June 25, Shahzeen Siddique received an email from Vodafone Idea, notifying her about a request to update the authorised signatory on the same mobile number. Upon examining the email, her daughter, Dr. Arshia Siddique, noticed that the request was made using an email ID that closely resembled her mother’s—differing by just one letter—indicating an attempt at impersonation.
Realizing the suspicious nature of the email, Arshia promptly lodged a police complaint. The police traced the accused using the mobile number linked to the fraudulent application.
During interrogation, Sabhrewal allegedly confessed that his motive was to become the authorised signatory of the late leader’s mobile number to gain access to his bank accounts and siphon off funds.
He has been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 319 (cheating by personation), Section 335 (making a false document or fake electronic record), and Section 336 (forgery). Further investigation into the case is currently underway.
