From Insta Fame to Human Trafficking Shame: How Bobby Kataria Was Arrested in International Human Trafficking Ring

GURUGRAM: In a joint operation by the Gurugram Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), social media influencer Balwant Kataria alias Bobby Kataria was arrested on Monday for allegedly running an international network of human trafficking. The arrest took place after searches conducted at Kataria's residence in Sector 109, Gurugram, where authorities recovered suspicious documents and a large sum of cash.

The arrest follows an FIR filed by the Gurugram police, alleging that Kataria and his associates held more than 150 Indians captive, seized their passports and other documents and forced them to participate in cyber fraud operations for a company Chinese. The victims suffered serious ill-treatment, according to the FIR.

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The matter came to light when Arun Kumar of Gopalganj, Uttar Pradesh, and Manish Tomar of Dhaulapur, Hapur, filed a complaint against Kataria. They alleged that Kataria advertised overseas job opportunities on her Instagram page, luring them with promises of employment in the UAE. Influenced by the advertisements, they paid Kataria's team a registration fee of Rs 2,000 and eventually ended up paying Rs 3.5 lakh in three installments into Kataria's accounts.

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However, instead of benefiting from employment in the UAE, the victims said they were sent to Vientiane, Laos, using tickets provided by Kataria. Upon arrival, they were met by Kataria's associates, including a Pakistani national, who took them to a hotel. The next day, they were given train tickets to Navatuai, where they met Ankit Shaukeen and Nitish Sharma, who confiscated their passports and took them to a Chinese company.

The plaintiffs alleged that they were held captive, assaulted and forced to engage in illegal U.S. cyberfraud activities on behalf of the Chinese company. Desperate and distressed, they eventually escaped and sought help from the Indian embassy, ​​exposing the Kataria trafficking syndicate.

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Gurugram Police and NIA are carrying out further investigations to apprehend other people involved in human trafficking.

This isn't the first time Bobby Kataria has faced legal issues. Previously, he was arrested in a case related to extortion and abuse against a woman on social media. In August 2022, a case was filed against him in Dehradun after a video of him drinking alcohol in the middle of a road went viral on social media. The Gurugram-based influencer was also arrested in 2022 for asking someone to record a video of him smoking a cigarette inside a SpiceJet flight.

Bobby Kataria's arrest has highlighted the growing threat posed by organized crime syndicates who exploit vulnerable individuals with promises of fake jobs overseas. The authorities are determined to crack down on these networks and bring their perpetrators to justice.

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