Mule bank accounts: Remand for 2 frauds
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 06 2025: The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West today remanded two accused in police custody till September 9 for allegedly creating and operating "mule bank accounts" by misusing Aadhaar, PAN, and SIM cards, with the objective of facilitating cyber-enabled financial crimes.

During Court proceedings, it was revealed that a total of 40 to 50 bank accounts were opened through online mode and almost all of them were discovered to be linked with financial fraud cases registered across different States of India, as per National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) records.

The two accused, including a woman, were arrested by a team of Cyber Crime Police Station, Manipur in collaboration with Thoubal district police yesterday and have been identified as Kongkham Apu Singh (32), s/o K Dinokumar of Thoubal Athokpam Awang Leikai and Yengkhom Raseshwori Leima (39), w/o Yengkhom Subol Meitei of Thoubal Wangmataba, Sorok Makha.

The duo were produced before the Court by a team of Cyber Crime PS, Manipur.

According to APP for the State, after receiving reliable information, a team of Cyber Crime PS Manipur proceeded to Thoubal Bazar area and carried out a search operation at OKS Digital Studio, where Aadhaar and PAN card updates were undertaken.

The victims in whose names such accounts were opened have also started receiving summons from various police stations for their alleged involvement with the said accounts.

Here, the accused Yengkhom Raseshwori was found in possession of several PAN cards and packets of SIM cards.

On enquiry, it came to light that she had brought some mobile phone numbers to be linked with different bank accounts.

On further questioning, she revealed that she has been collecting Aadhaar cards, and mobile numbers from different persons from Thoubal and other districts with payment ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1000.The Aadhaar card, mobile number, and PAN card thus collected and linked were subsequently provided to K Apu Singh for the purpose of creating and operating bank accounts to be used for illegal/fraudulent transactions, while she received a commission of around Rs 500 for each account.

During the course of investigation, K Apu Singh admitted that he had been providing money for the purchase of SIM cards and collection of Aadhaar cards, and was further engaged in linking them with PAN cards and mobile numbers.

Thereafter, he used them to create bank accounts at Indian Overseas Bank and other banks through online mode with the intended purpose of facilitating fraudulent transactions.

K Apu also revealed that earlier he used to procure readymade bank accounts from some persons instead of creating them himself, the APP further submitted.

He further disclosed that he provided Yengkhom Raseshwori Leima an amount of Rs 2000 each to collect credentials/documents to open bank accounts from different persons residing in and around Thoubal district, as well as from other districts.

After hearing the submission of APP and on perusal of the case record, the Court remanded the two accused persons to 4 days police custody till September 9 .

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