Two brothers from Lucknow have filed a police complaint after being allegedly defrauded of a staggering Rs 40 lakh by a man who posed as a senior official from the Uttar Pradesh Home Department. The elaborate con involved promises of securing lucrative government contracts and jobs in exchange for money.
The Master of Disguise and His Web of Deceit
The accused has been identified as Sarvesh Kumar Yadav, a resident of Nawabganj in Barabanki. According to the FIR lodged by brothers Itesh Kumar and Saurabh Kumar, Yadav lived as a tenant on the floor above their rented accommodation in Vinit Khand, Gomtinagar. He introduced himself as "S K Singh, secretary in the home department, UP Secretariat."
To build credibility, Yadav claimed he was posted in Lucknow and originally hailed from Gorakhpur. He lived with his wife and children, presenting a picture of a normal family man. He further bolstered his fake identity by using counterfeit identity cards and even affixing official emblems on his vehicles to win the confidence of his targets.
How the Rs 40 Lakh Was Extracted
Gaining the brothers' trust, Yadav assured them he could help secure government canteen tenders, parking tenders, and even secure government jobs for them in exchange for money. Believing his claims, the victims began transferring large sums.
The money, totalling Rs 40 lakh, was transferred into the bank accounts of several individuals named Suraj Kumar, Durgesh Kumar Verma, Jafar, Karuna Shankar, Sumit Kumar, Shubham Kumar, and Dhanman Singh. Screenshots of these cash transfers were submitted to the police with the FIR.
Some payments were also made in cash, both at the victims' residence and at a surprising location: Uttarakhand Bhawan in Vibhuti Khand. The accused called the brothers there for what he termed "official meetings." Yadav was often accompanied by accomplices; Sandeep Awasthi, who posed as a review officer in the Secretariat, and Ankita, introduced as Awasthi's personal assistant. Both repeatedly assured the brothers that their government files were under process.
The Unraveling of the Scam and a Criminal Past
As doubts grew, Yadav issued a cheque of Rs 1 lakh dated August 24, 2024, and another on June 2. He also handed over four cheques, promising to return the entire amount by June 30. However, when one cheque was deposited on June 21, it bounced. Officials from the private bank informed the victims that Yadav's account had been inactive for a year and had insufficient balance.
By this time, Yadav had already vacated his rented accommodation, stopped answering calls, and disappeared. He used multiple phone numbers for WhatsApp calls and texts to avoid detection.
During the investigation, a shocking past revelation came to light. Sarvesh Kumar Yadav was arrested in 2019 for a similar scam in a case filed on the complaint of a retired judge. In that instance, he was also found using a vehicle with a fake number plate.
DCP, East Zone, Shashank Singh, confirmed that an FIR under charges of BNS 318 (4) for cheating has been lodged. The police are now investigating the complex web of bank accounts and accomplices involved in defrauding the Lucknow brothers.
