Morigaon Court Orders Confiscation of Cyber Fraudster’s Land

The Morigaon District Court has ordered the attachment of landed property owned by absconding cyber fraudster Shoriful Islam and his mother, Shorifa Khatun. The court’s order, issued on June 2, 2025, by Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) M. Naroh, marks a significant escalation in efforts to dismantle criminal financial networks built through digital deception.

The court made absolute an earlier ex-parte attachment order issued on February 21, 2025, under Section 107(4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), directing the Morigaon district administration to seize land measuring 1 katha 5 lechas in Morigaon town (Patta No. 2088, Dag No. 4067) registered in the name of Shoriful Islam, and an additional 10 lechas of land under the same dag and patta registered in the name of his mother, Shorifa Khatun.

The order follows an extensive investigation led by Inspector Pankaj Das of Moirabari Police Station, who submitted evidence that Shoriful Islam is a key operative in a sprawling cybercrime racket spanning across Assam and beyond. Islam is reportedly involved in multiple criminal cases registered under various sections of the IPC and the Information Technology Act, including Moirabari PS Case No. 178/2024 and others from Laharighat PS (Cases No. 415/22 and 26/24).

Trail of Deceit and Digital Fraud

According to the investigation, Shoriful Islam—who remains absconding—used sophisticated surveillance systems, including CCTV cameras installed around his residence, to evade arrest during multiple police raids. Authorities say he has operated under numerous fictitious identities, committing large-scale financial fraud, forgery, and identity theft.

Evidence shows Islam fraudulently obtained loans using forged documents and PAN cards, and siphoned off funds through accounts in the names of multiple fabricated individuals such as Ashish Gupta, Vishal Gupta, Rohit Kumar, and Ajay Gupta. These fraudulent transactions were conducted through major financial institutions, including IDFC First Bank, DBS Bank, Equitas Small Finance Bank, and Yes Bank.

The police submitted detailed bank statements showing Rs 74.94 lakh credited to Islam’s HDFC account (No. 50100282625022) between July 2019 and February 2025. An additional Rs 42.28 lakh was traced to an HDFC account (No. 50100707260676) held by his wife, Parbin Sultana, between March 2024 and January 2025.

Furthermore, over Rs 35.55 lakh was credited to the account of his father, Shiraj Ali, during the same period. These suspicious transactions, the court noted, stem from undisclosed sources and represent income from criminal activities.

Court Rejects Objections, Affirms Attachment

The accused parties had submitted written objections through legal counsel, challenging the attachment order and raising procedural concerns. However, the court found no merit in their claims. Notably, it was established that the Investigating Officer had duly obtained approval from the Superintendent of Police, Morigaon, to initiate the attachment proceedings.

Upon examining the record and hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defense, the court concluded that the properties in question were likely purchased using proceeds from unlawful activities. The court also noted that neither Shoriful Islam nor his family could satisfactorily explain the source of the substantial income used to acquire the assets.

Wider Crackdown on Cybercrime Network

This order comes amid a wider crackdown on cybercriminal networks in the Morigaon district, particularly in Moirabari and Laharighat—areas that have increasingly become hubs for digital fraud. Under the leadership of Additional Superintendent of Police Samiran Baishya, the Morigaon Police has arrested 265 individuals linked to cybercrime operations, many of whom are believed to be part of the same syndicate.

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