Pasighat: In a significant stride against digital fraud, two men from Assam involved in a fake PhonePe scam in Arunachal Pradesh‘s East Siang district have been convicted.
Raj Thapa and Boge Sonar, arrested by Ruksin Police on September 26, 2024, were sentenced to two months of simple imprisonment by the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Pasighat, on Friday (July 17, 2025).
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Thapa and Sonar, residents of Nepali Tinali, Jonai, Assam, had allegedly duped numerous shopkeepers in Ruksin and surrounding areas using a fraudulent “PhonePe” application.
The duo’s arrest followed an FIR lodged by Tajong Panyang of Ruksin Village, who reported that Raj Thapa had cheated his wine shop earlier on the day of the complaint. This case was registered under Ruksin PS Case No. 10/2024 U/s 318(4) and 3(5) of the BNS Act.
According to Dy. SP Ayup Boko, who actively led the investigation as the then SDPO Ruksin, the scammers employed a sophisticated fake PhonePe app. This deceptive application mimicked the genuine app’s interface, even producing transaction completion sounds and reports, all without an internet connection.
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Crucially, no money was ever transferred to the recipient’s account. Police noted that the accused had defrauded several shopkeepers in both Ruksin and Jonai using this method.
Upon their arrest, the mobile phones of Thapa and Sonar were seized and sent to CFSL Guwahati for forensic analysis. During the trial, both accused admitted to their crimes.
Given their status as first-time offenders, the court handed down a sentence of two months of simple imprisonment.
East Siang District SP Pankaj Lamba said, “East Siang Police remains committed to ensuring justice and urges citizens and shopkeepers to remain vigilant against such digital frauds.”