The cyber crime police station team in Kanpur arrested five individuals on Friday in connection with a cyber fraud case where the accused posed as police officials and duped a retired assistant commissioner of Rs 57 lakh. The fraudsters falsely accused the victim of funding the Pulwama terror attack.
How the Fraud Unfolded
According to police, the victim, Bhairav Prasad Pandey, a resident of Rambagh, received a call on April 10. The fraudsters accused him of making a transaction of Rs 70 lakh to the main suspect in the Pulwama terror attack. Threatening the family with arrest and other dire consequences, the fraudsters placed the entire family under digital arrest. The accused later forced the victim to transfer Rs 57 lakh in multiple transactions to various accounts. The victim finally registered a police complaint on April 21.
Police Investigation and Arrests
Police commissioner Raghuveer Lal said, “Three days ago, Bhairav Prasad filed a case related to digital arrest. He was defrauded of approximately Rs 57 lakh. After receiving the complaint, our team began the investigation and traced two bank accounts, based on which five people have been arrested.”
The five arrested individuals are: Jai Prakash, a resident of Jawahar Nagar; Shubhankar Singh, a resident of Nirala Nagar; Vikram Singh, a resident of Kidwai Nagar, Kanpur; Vinay Pratap Singh, a resident of Raipurwa; and Raju Thakur, a resident of Veermau, Jharkhand. From the accused, police recovered the SIM card of the number used to make the call, bank account documents, and an Ertiga car.
Main Accused and International Links
Police also revealed that the main accused is a CRPF constable, Dawood Ansari, from West Bengal, stationed in Raurkela, Odisha. His network is reported to be linked to cyber fraudsters in Cambodia, and one of the accused is also from Bokaro, Lal said. “Our team has contacted the CISF headquarters for his interrogation. He will soon be taken into custody for questioning. This cyber fraud network spans across five states, and international connections have also emerged. Mobile phones, a vehicle, and other items have been recovered from the accused,” the police commissioner added.
Modus Operandi
The cyber fraudsters installed an app on Bhairav Prasad’s mobile, through which they monitored his every activity. He was also instructed not to meet anyone or share his number with anyone. Even the housemaid was instructed not to come. The police continue to investigate the case and are working to dismantle the wider network involved.
