Gaming fraud racket busted in Pune; 12 booked, minors found at call centres

Pune,UPDATED: Jun 13, 2026 01:56 IST

Pune Police have booked 12 people after raiding two suspected call centres allegedly linked to an online gaming fraud racket operating from the Amanora and Fursungi areas of the city.

The action was carried out at the offices of J K India Private Solutions Limited located at Amanora Chambers in Amanora Mall and at Bhakti Commercial Complex in Fursungi. According to investigators, the accused allegedly targeted users of online gaming platforms and cheated them by diverting money through multiple bank accounts.

Police suspect that several bank accounts and SIM cards used in the alleged fraud were procured using forged Aadhaar and PAN card documents.

During the raids, officers found five minors allegedly working at the two premises. An illegal firearm along with six live cartridges was also recovered during the operation.

An FIR registered at Hadapsar police station names 47-year-old Santosh Datta Venjanekar, a resident of Fursungi, among the key accused. Investigators allege that Venjanekar used forged identity documents of employees to obtain SIM cards and open bank accounts that were allegedly used to facilitate the fraud.

Police further claimed that Venjanekar had illegally employed minors and was in possession of the firearm without a valid licence.

As part of the investigation, police seized a large quantity of electronic devices and financial records, including computer hard disks, laptops, pen drives, CCTV DVRs, auto-dialler machines, SIM box equipment, bank-related documents, passbooks, cheque books and jewellery.

The accused have been booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology Act, online gaming regulations, the Arms Act and the Juvenile Justice Act. Further investigation is underway to determine the scale of the alleged fraud and identify additional beneficiaries and victims linked to the operation.

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