Pune: Any proceeds from mule accounts can land cyber fraud victims in the soup. Ex-serviceman Vishal Singh Yadav (39) learnt it the hard way. He is fighting his life’s toughest battle after retirement from the Indian Army — running around in government offices, bank branches and cybercrime units in multiple states to unfreeze his bank accounts.Yadav allegedly lost Rs3.14 lakh to an online investment scam. He could recover Rs2.92 lakh after promising the perpetrators further investment, but the money credited back to his bank account from multiple unknown accounts prompted a cyber fraud investigation.His bank accounts were frozen. His defence pension account was blocked. Even the accounts of his wife and elderly mother came under restrictions. More than a year later, after approaching banks, cybercrime authorities and obtaining a high court order, Yadav is fighting to regain access to his family’s money and banking services.Joint commissioner of Pune police Sanjay Darade said, “There are incidents where the victims of cyber frauds, such as online share market fraud or digital arrest or any other online investment fraud, received some money from fraudsters. Scamsters transferred this money from other mule bank accounts. After a case is registered in any part of the country, and if the bank account of the cyber fraud victim, who has received money, is located in the money trail, the bank account is frozen for further investigation. This money belongs to another cyber fraud victim.”Darade said, “We are working extensively on mule bank accounts. We have filed over 160 FIRs so far.“Ex-serviceman Yadav said, “We are not allowed to use social media in the Army. After I retired in Jan 2025, I started a social media account and came across a link. I clicked on it and got added to a WhatsApp group regarding investment in the share market. Initially I invested a small amount through the platform called TriGen and got a profit. So I invested over Rs3.14 lakh. Soon the app stopped working and the WhatsApp group also didn’t respond to me. I realised I have been scammed.”He then called a customer care number he was given earlier and promised to invest Rs10 lakh more. “Soon I started getting money in my account from different accounts. When the fraudsters saw I wasn’t investing, the payment stopped. I thought of forgetting my losses and decided not to invest again. But when I tried sending money from my account, it didn’t go through. When I went to the bank, I was told the account was on hold because of a cyber fraud case from Rajasthan,” said Yadav.Soon his personal accounts, his wife’s and his joint account with his mother were also frozen. In July last year, Yadav went to the police station in Rajasthan to explain his plight but there was no relief. There were cases from Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and other states also.“ I submitted complaints before the ministry of home affairs and cyber cell. I also submitted a complaint through the CPGRAMS portal. In July 2026, I personally visited the Pune cyber cell, where I was informed that the matter may be connected with approximately eight states. In such circumstances, it has become extremely difficult for me to understand which state, cyber cell, or officer I should approach for resolution. The bank officials have not provided an effective solution to my problem,” said Yadav.The bank allegedly did not issue any proper notice before restricting his accounts. “No information was provided by the cyber cell regarding the action,” said Yadav.Yadav also approached the Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court. In its October 2025 order, the high court’s Indore Bench directed the banks to unfreeze the petitioner’s accounts while retaining the disputed amount, as informed by the investigating agencies, in fixed deposits. The court said the amount could be released only after orders from the competent judicial magistrate within three months. If the police failed to initiate proceedings under the BNSS or any other applicable law within that period, the petitioner would be permitted to withdraw the amount after informing the investigating agency.“I went around banks with the order but nothing worked. On July 7, the CIF of my defence pension account was also closed. I pay for my children’s education and EMI from my pension and legally earned retirement benefits. After much pleading, the CIF was unblocked. But I now live in fear of one or the other account being closed,” said Yadav.(With inputs from Gitesh Shelke)
