Jamshedpur, Mar 4 (PTI) Jharkhand police on Monday arrested a Bihar-based criminal for allegedly defrauding people through the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) using cloned fingerprints in the state's remote areas.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishore Kaushal, said an operator of a Pragya Kendra situated at Kating Chowk in Kamalpur, East Singhbhum district, had alerted police on Sunday about a person duping people in remote rural areas through AEPS using cloned fingerprints.

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The SSP explained that upon receiving information, the operator was instructed to notify police if the suspect returned and to engage him in conversation.

When the suspect attempted to defraud people again on Monday, the operator and local residents promptly informed police.

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A police team, led by Kaushal and accompanied by SP (Rural) Rishabh Garg, rushed to the location and apprehended him.

The accused, identified as Raja Kumar from Merandi village in Bihar's Nawada district, confessed to his involvement in the crime during interrogation.

Kaushal said Raju Kumar, recently released on bail from jail, confessed that his mastermind, Pravin Kumar from Gaya district, Bihar, provided cloned fingerprints and Aadhaar details for carrying out illegal activities.

A formal arrest was made after registering a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. Upon searching the accused, police recovered 13 fake cloned fingerprints, Aadhaar details of 11 persons, and Rs 3460 in cash.

Raja Kumar has been remanded to judicial custody. Police are also examining the call details of the accused to gather clues about other people associated with the racket.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)