A 28-year-old cybercriminal, who had been absconding for nearly four years after being declared a proclaimed offender by the court, has been arrested by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police, an official said on Monday.
According to the police, Sumit Kumar was involved in a case of online exploitation of a minor girl under the POCSO and IT Acts.
“Kumar was apprehended by the Inter-State Cell (ISC) team from Sector-128, Noida, following a planned operation,” said Aditya Gautam, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime).
The DCP further said that the accused, who hails from Bihar’s Madhubani district, had been wanted in a case registered at Dwarka South Police Station. “He had allegedly induced a minor girl on Facebook through a phishing link, hacked her social media account, and coerced her into sharing obscene photos. He later used these images to blackmail and extort money from the victim and her family,” he added.
After being arrested and released on bail in 2021, Kumar fled to Bihar to evade trial and was subsequently declared a Proclaimed Offender by the court in March 2024. Despite changing locations and jobs, he continued to stay under the radar until the Crime Branch traced him through sustained surveillance and technical analysis, the officer added.
During the investigation into this case, a team kept track of his movements and eventually got their hands on him from outside a wine shop in Sahpur Village that lies in Noida on Saturday.
During sustained interrogation, Kumar confessed to his involvement in multiple online crimes, admitting that he resorted to phishing and extortion to make easy money.
He was previously arrested for similar offences involving the online sexual exploitation of women, Gautam said.
Amid the probe, it was found that Sumit, who is a habitual cyber-offender, targeted women and minors through fake social media accounts.
“The accused is currently employed as a housekeeping supervisor in a Noida IT company. He will now be produced before the court for further legal proceedings,” the officer said.