Five individuals from Uttar Pradesh have been arrested for their involvement in a sophisticated cyber fraud scheme that defrauded people across India of significant sums of money. The arrests followed a complaint from Sonia Hanspal, a resident of Amasivani. Hanspal reported being defrauded of ₹2.83 crore between May 21, 2025, and July 10, 2025, by individuals impersonating members of the Delhi Cyber Wing and Delhi Police. The fraudsters used WhatsApp video calls to create a “digital arrest” scenario, claiming her Aadhaar card was associated with illicit financial transactions.
Senior police officials oversaw the investigation. A dedicated team comprising officers from the Range Cyber Police Station, Anti-Crime & Cyber Unit, and Vidhan Sabha Police was formed to investigate the case. The team collected detailed statements from the victim and conducted a comprehensive technical analysis of the mobile numbers and bank accounts utilized in the crime. This investigation led to the identification of the suspects in Uttar Pradesh.
A specialized team was deployed to Uttar Pradesh and conducted raids in Gorakhpur and Lucknow. These operations resulted in the apprehension of Akash Sahu and Sher Bahadur Singh alias Monu from Gorakhpur, and Anoop Mishra, Naveen Mishra, and Anand Kumar Singh from Lucknow. During questioning, the accused confessed to their participation in the fraudulent activities.
The investigation showed that Akash and Sher Bahadur Singh procured SIM cards and made WhatsApp video calls. Anoop, Naveen, and Anand Singh established fake companies such as Shri Narayani Infra Developer Private Limited to facilitate the transfer of stolen funds through various bank accounts. Anand Kumar Singh operated a Punjab National Bank customer service center in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh.
The arrested individuals now face charges, and authorities have seized bank records, checkbooks, SIM cards, and mobile phones related to the case. Approximately ₹43 lakh held in the defendants’ bank accounts has been frozen. The police are actively searching for other individuals involved and will pursue legal action to seize the assets of the accused, who are alleged to have established over 40 shell companies.