Authorities have arrested five individuals from Uttar Pradesh for orchestrating a large-scale cyber fraud operation that resulted in financial losses across the nation. The police acted on a complaint from Sonia Hanspal of Amasivani, who reported being defrauded of ₹2.83 crore. The criminals, pretending to be from the Delhi Cyber Wing and the Delhi Police, contacted Hanspal via mobile, fabricating a story about her Aadhaar card and its supposed links to illicit financial activities to coerce her into a “digital arrest” and extort money between May and July 2025.
The investigation was overseen by senior police officers. A combined team, including members from the Range Cyber Police Station, the Anti-Crime & Cyber Unit, and the Vidhan Sabha Police, was formed to investigate the matter. They gathered evidence and performed technical analysis of mobile numbers and bank accounts used in the fraud, eventually leading to the suspects in Uttar Pradesh.
A specialized team was sent to Uttar Pradesh, carrying out raids in Gorakhpur and Lucknow. This resulted in the capture of Akash Sahu and Sher Bahadur Singh alias Monu from Gorakhpur, and Anoop Mishra, Naveen Mishra, and Anand Kumar Singh from Lucknow. During interrogation, the perpetrators admitted to their roles in the fraud.
The modus operandi involved Akash and Sher Bahadur Singh obtaining SIM cards to make WhatsApp video calls. Anoop, Naveen, and Anand Singh then used fake companies like Shri Narayani Infra Developer Private Limited to transfer the stolen money through multiple bank accounts. Anand Kumar Singh also managed a Punjab National Bank customer service center in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh.
The police seized relevant documents, including bank records and phones, while arresting the five individuals. Funds amounting to ₹43 lakh held in the defendants’ bank accounts have been frozen. The police are actively seeking other accomplices, and are working to attach the assets linked to the criminals, who are believed to have established more than 40 fake companies.