Revenue Inspector, student arrested for cyber crime

A revenue inspector working in the district was arrested by police for allegedly hacking internet bank accounts and using the account numbers and passwords to make online purchases.

The accused, Suraj Chandra Bala (24) was employed as revenue inspector in Panasput under cut-off region of Malkangiri. He was using the accounts to make e-purchases and book railway tickets online.

He used to then sell the railway tickets and products purchased online to locals. Malkangiri police have also arrested one Jiban Dash (23), a Plus Three student, who assisted Bala in the crime.

Bala, who is an MBA degree holder, and Dash were habitual hackers and mostly targeted accounts in State Bank of India for the crime. Sources said Bala used to commit such crimes even before joining the Revenue Department. Both Bala and Dash belong to MV-45 village under Malkangiri police limits and had reportedly made lakhs through cyber crime before landing in the police net.

“The crime came to fore when a customer of Bala in Jeypore did not get the product that the latter had assured him against cash. Subsequent investigations revealed their modus operandi,” said Malkangiri IIC E Kiro.

Informing about the modus operandi, the IIC said Bala used to enter ATM counters while those were crowded. He used to remember the ATM codes by noticing the finger movements. Then he would collect the ATM transaction slips that are usually thrown away by people. “From these slips, he would gather information about account numbers and then hack them,” Kiro said, adding that the exact amount of money that the two made through cyber crime is being ascertained.