Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Prison Ties Allegedly Helped Rebuild Cybercrime Network Before Second Arrest
Police in Pimpri-Chinchwad arrested two men over an alleged share-trading scam worth Rs 86 lakh.
One of them, Avinash Baklikar, had previously been arrested for another cybercrime case.
Police say he met Tejas Lokhande while both were in prison for separate cases.
After leaving prison, they allegedly contacted other former inmates.
They reportedly used those people’s names to open bank accounts for moving scam money.
Police found eight accounts that may have been used this way.
Investigators are also checking accounts linked to a construction company and a private limited company.
They are trying to find out where the money went and whether the new operation was connected to Baklikar’s earlier international cybercrime links.
Pimpri-Chinchwad police arrested Avinash Dnyanoba Baklikar and Tejas Dnyanoba Lokhande over an alleged Rs 86 lakh share-trading fraud.
Police allege Baklikar used prison contacts, including Lokhande, to arrange and manage mule bank accounts.
Investigators traced Rs 5 lakh from the complainant’s money to an account held by Lokhande.
Police have identified eight accounts allegedly opened in the names of former inmates and are tracing their transactions.
Baklikar was previously arrested in a Rs 61 lakh fraud case involving alleged links to international cybercriminals.
- Who
- Pimpri-Chinchwad police arrested Avinash Dnyanoba Baklikar and Tejas Dnyanoba Lokhande; police are also investigating former inmates whose names allegedly appeared on mule accounts.
- What
- The arrests concern an alleged Rs 86 lakh share-trading fraud and a suspected network using mule bank accounts.
- When
- The arrests occurred last week; Baklikar’s earlier arrest was in 2024.
- Where
- The investigation is being conducted by Pimpri-Chinchwad cyber police in Maharashtra, with alleged network activity linked to Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
- Why
- Police allege the accused used prison contacts to obtain bank-account details and facilitate cybercrime transactions.
- Reported fraud amount
- Rs 86 lakh
- Amount traced to Lokhande’s account
- Rs 5 lakh
- Mule accounts identified
- Eight
- Baklikar’s earlier case
- A Rs 61 lakh share-trading fraud registered in 2024
- Baklikar’s reported prison term
- About one-and-a-half years
- Earlier alleged international links
- Police said the previous network funnelled money to cybercriminals in Nepal and China through cryptocurrency
- Additional accounts under review
- Accounts opened in the names of a construction company and a private limited company