The Bandra police have arrested a 48-year-old man from Delhi for allegedly attempting to reactivate the mobile number of NCP MLA Baba Siddique, who was assassinated in Bandra East on October 12, 2024. The accused, Vivek Sabarwal, used a fraudulent email ID to request SIM card reactivation from the mobile network service provider. The number was linked to Siddique and his real estate firm.
According to the police, the accused claims to have a BA and an MBA degree and had worked in a private bank’s loan department. Sabarwal has been arrested multiple times by the Delhi police for reactivating SIM cards belonging to deceased individuals.
Modus operandi
According to the police, during interrogation, Sabarwal revealed that he obtained contact information of individuals who had taken loans from data provider companies. He would call these numbers and, if they were found to be switched off or inactive, he would identify them as potential targets. He then gathered documents submitted by the deceased during their loan applications through bank sources. “We are yet to verify these claims,” said a police officer.
Using these documents, he would approach mobile service providers and request SIM card reactivation. In at least seven instances, he successfully acquired SIM cards issued in the names of deceased individuals. Once activated, he would install Google Pay and other apps, link them to the deceased’s bank accounts, and then transfer funds to his account.
According to police, the latest incident came to light on June 25, when Shehzeen Siddique, the wife of Baba Siddique, received an email from the customer service team of the mobile service provider. The email stated that a request for an authorised signatory update had been received — the request was traced back to a fake email ID created by the accused.
A police officer said, “During the investigation, we found that the accused used a fake email ID and sent a request to the mobile network provider. A few days earlier, he had contacted a company that provides contact details of people who had taken loans or run businesses. From that list, he randomly contacted individuals and found that Baba Siddique’s number was switched off. He then targeted the number and obtained Siddique’s documents from loan department sources.”
The officer further added, “He created a fake email ID and sent a request to reactivate the number. However, during the reactivation process, the service provider sent an alert to Shehzeen Siddique’s email, as it was linked to the number. The number was also connected to the family’s real estate business, Zears Business India LLP.” The Siddique family immediately alerted Bandra police, and an FIR was registered against the unknown person.
Cop Speak
Senior Inspector Sanjay Marathe of Bandra police station said, “We have arrested Vivek Sabarwal for attempting to reactivate Baba Siddique’s mobile number. He created a fake email ID to send the request to the service provider. During questioning, he admitted to targeting multiple deceased individuals whose bank accounts were still active. He would reactivate their numbers to gain access to their bank accounts and transfer money to his account.”
