Cyberabad EOW doubles property attachments in 2025 fraud crackdown as arrests decline
India's Cyberabad Economic Offences Wing has shifted its enforcement strategy in 2025, doubling the value of attached properties to Rs 11.5 crore while reducing arrests by nearly half, according to the department's annual report. The intensified focus on asset recovery comes amid growing investment and real estate fraud schemes that have duped thousands of victims across the region.
Background and Context
The economic crimes landscape in Cyberabad has evolved significantly, with sophisticated fraud operations targeting investors through seemingly legitimate businesses. While the number of cases registered increased marginally from 90 in 2024 to 95 in 2025, enforcement priorities have shifted toward tracing and seizing proceeds of crime rather than focusing solely on arrests. According to Cyberabad Commissioner of Police Avinash Mohanty, this strategic pivot reflects a broader commitment to victim restitution and disruption of criminal financial networks.
Major Fraud Cases of 2025
The year saw several high-profile investigations exposing systemic fraud across multiple sectors. In one of the largest cases, IIT Capital Technologies and AV Solutions allegedly collected nearly Rs 850 crore from approximately 3,500 investors by promoting fake stock-market prediction software. Victims were promised fixed monthly returns of 6%, with fabricated dashboards showing fictitious profits to maintain the deception. The EOW managed to freeze Rs 3.06 crore and identified properties worth Rs 12 crore for attachment.
Another significant case involved AV Infracon Pvt. Ltd., which operated fraudulent real-estate schemes under the guise of investment and buy-back offers. The company, claiming a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore, collected Rs 22.55 crore from investors before authorities intervened. Sri Nandhan Infra Developers faces similar allegations, having collected approximately Rs 60 crore from 150 investors for plot investments that largely failed to materialize.
In a more elaborate scheme, Sri Sai Ram Enterprises allegedly used textile trading as a front for benami transactions, employing forged GST and TDS receipts along with fake purchase orders through Pekeru Traders. After paying minimal initial returns to build trust, the accused diverted Rs 41.91 crore into benami real-estate deals. Investigators recovered precious metals and cash in this interconnected case.
Enforcement Strategy and Financial Mechanisms
The 2025 enforcement data reveals a deliberate rebalancing of investigative resources. While arrests decreased from 203 in 2024 to 111 in 2025, the value of attached properties surged from Rs 5.29 crore to Rs 11.50 crore—more than double the previous year. The amount frozen declined marginally from Rs 30.77 crore to Rs 26.17 crore, reflecting investigators' focus on long-term asset recovery over immediate cash seizures.
This strategic shift emphasizes the importance of following money trails through complex financial networks. Commissioner Mohanty stated that investigations increasingly target shell entities, benami assets, and sophisticated laundering mechanisms designed to obscure beneficial ownership. The approach aims to maximize victim recovery while dismantling the infrastructure that enables large-scale fraud operations.
Sources
This report draws on the Cyberabad Annual Report-2025, official statements from the Cyberabad Commissioner of Police, and case data released by the Economic Offences Wing. Information was compiled from press briefings and enforcement records detailing the department's 2025 operations.
