Kandivali Police Arrest Three in Gujarat for Mahanagar Gas APK Scam

The Kandivali police have arrested three men for allegedly duping citizens through a malicious mobile application disguised as an official Mahanagar Gas platform. The accused used the fraudulent APK file to gain remote access to victims' mobile phones and siphon funds from their bank accounts.

The Kandivali police Cyber Cell traced the fraudulent financial transactions to Olpad village in Gujarat, where they apprehended the three accused: Urvishkumar Patel, Janikumar Patel, and Ankitkumar Patel. Police have recovered approximately ₹6.24 lakh in connection with the investigation.

According to police reports, the cyber fraud came to light after multiple complaints were lodged regarding unauthorized bank withdrawals following interactions with individuals claiming to represent Mahanagar Gas.

In one case, complainant Bakul Kantilal Desai reported that he was contacted by individuals stating that his gas meter reading needed to be uploaded. The callers instructed him to download an APK file purportedly linked to Mahanagar Gas. Once the file was installed, the fraudsters gained access to his device, and ₹2.70 lakh was allegedly transferred from his bank account without his consent.

In another reported incident, victim Shailesh Jaikishan Parmar was contacted on May 7, 2025, and asked to make a nominal payment of ₹12 for a gas meter reading. After he downloaded the APK file sent to his phone, ₹4.17 lakh was siphoned from his savings account.

Following the complaints, cyber investigators mapped the electronic trail and financial movements associated with the stolen amounts. During interrogation, police established that the accused had allegedly used the stolen funds to repay an existing gold loan taken from Bajaj Finserv.