In a major crackdown, Jhansi police have busted a fake call centre operating from a rented space in Saryu Vihar Colony for over a year. The gang targeted middle-aged men across India by showing them AI-generated images of prospective brides and employing young women to lure them. The call centre, named Shagun Matrimonial, was run by Satish and Neetu Prajapati, who are currently absconding. Police arrested the manager, Hina Kaushar, a 35-year-old woman from Nagra area, who managed the entire operation and whose name appeared on the rent deed.
Modus Operandi
According to ASP Areeba Nomaan, the accused tracked middle-aged divorcees or bachelors interested in marriage through advertisements or matrimonial portals on a pan-India basis. They contacted them and lured them by showing AI-generated images or images from the internet as prospective brides. Later, young women employed by the call centre would act as brides and convince them for marriage. The clients were asked to deposit registration charges ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 30,000, and sometimes up to Rs 1 lakh.
Victims and Financial Loss
Investigations revealed that the gang duped over 610 men across the country, amassing over Rs 30-40 lakh. The cyber cell received regular complaints, which led to the identification of the calling numbers pointing to Jhansi. A raid was conducted on Wednesday night, leading to the arrest of the manager and the rescue of 16 young women.
Rescue of Women
The rescued women, aged between 17 and 20, were from underprivileged families in Jhansi and nearby areas. They were forcibly employed as cyber slaves on very low wages of Rs 5,000 per month. The accused either threatened them or confiscated their original documents. After being counselled, the women were sent back to their families.
Legal Action
A case has been lodged against all three accused under Section 318(4) (cheating), 112 (petty organised crime) of the BNS, and Section 66D of the IT Act. Police recovered 23 keypad phones, 5 smartphones, 7 computers, QR scanning codes, and registers maintaining client details. Additionally, 9 bank accounts have been frozen, and Rs 50,000 has been blocked.
