Nagpur: The son of a local GST official has been apprehended by the Chhattisgarh Police for allegedly duping a woman of ₹36 lakh under the pretext of Bitcoin trading. The 28-year-old accused, Tanmay Vinod Kohad, a resident of Beltarodi in Nagpur, was arrested from his home and brought to Durg for further investigation.

The case came to light after Junwani resident Vaishnavi Nair filed a complaint at Supela Police Station on August 16, 2024. 

According to her statement, Vaishnavi, an engineering graduate from BIT Durg, befriended Tanmay during their college years in 2016. In 2019, Tanmay reconnected with her and lured her into investing in Bitcoin trading by promising high returns.

To gain her trust, Tanmay initially asked her to invest ₹7,800 and returned it with a profit of ₹6,500 within a few days. Impressed by the quick returns, Vaishnavi went on to make larger investments between August 2020 and April 2022, transferring ₹36 lakh in total to Tanmay’s account in three installments.

When Vaishnavi demanded her profits or the principal amount back, Tanmay made excuses and eventually stopped responding to her calls and messages. Realizing she had been duped, she lodged a police complaint.

Based on her complaint, a joint team of Smriti Nagar Police and the Crime Branch launched an investigation. Tanmay’s location was traced to New Vasundhara Society on Beltarodi Road in Nagpur, where he was arrested. The accused has been brought to Durg for further legal proceedings.

The police are continuing their investigation to identify potential additional victims of the scam.