Man duped twice by frauds impersonating ‘recovery agents’

Fed up with the state of affairs, eventually, he filed a complaint at ‘Jansunwai’ (a grievance redressal government mechanism in UP) and his case was transferred to Phase 3 police station

Noida: A 27-year-old software engineer found himself in trouble after two men, impersonating recovery agents of a private finance firm, chased his car in Noida Sector 71, and extorted ₹5,000 of him, threatening that his car would be repossessed if he did not clear his dues, the victim said on Thursday.

Police said on Thursday that they arrested one suspect Satyendra Yadav, a resident of Sorkha in Sector 115.on Thursday from the Phase 3 area. (Representational image)

After two months after being chased by some unidentified suspects once again, he approached “Jansunwai” (public hearing), and one suspect was arrested on Thursday.

Victim Gaurav Singh, a software engineer at an MNC in Noida and resident of a high-rise near Ek Murti in Greater Noida West, shared with HT, “On May 27, when I was going to my office in my Baleno, two men in a Maruti Suzuki Brezza followed my car and stopped me at a traffic signal near Sector 71. One suspect immediately entered my car, introducing himself as a recovery agent of a private finance firm from which I financed my car.”

“He told me that I had failed to pay the 42nd instalment of ₹15,000 and they were approached to repossess the car if I failed to pay. Moments later, another suspect, Satyendra, barged inside from the rear door. He shared a QR code to pay ₹15,000,” said Singh, who tried to contact his financier but the phone was switched off. Later, they offered me to pay ₹5,000 to avoid repossession,” said Singh.

Left with no alternatives, Singh paid them ₹5,000. But later when he cross-verified their (suspects’) authenticity with his financer, he realised he had been duped.

“I approached the police. But they nabbed the wrong suspect. On July 25, two men in a Toyota Glanza verbally abused me and chased my car again. After a three to four km chase, I somehow managed to stop near a crowded place, and called 112 for police help,” said Singh.

Since then, he stopped moving out in his Baleno and opted to start commuting only by motorbike. But a week later, he met with an accident.

“Fed up with the state of affairs, eventually, I filed a complaint at ‘Jansunwai’ (a grievance redressal government mechanism in Uttar Pradesh) and my case was transferred to Phase 3 police station after submitting all required documents.”

Police said on Thursday that they arrested one suspect Satyendra Yadav, a resident of Sorkha in Sector 115.on Thursday from the Phase 3 area.

“Investigation revealed that the suspect, Satyendra, was involved in the crime with his friend, collecting data of loan borrowers from a mobile app and duped over 20 people. No one of them approached the police, and this was the first FIR. Efforts are underway to nab his associate, who is absconding,” said Station House Officer (Phase 3 police station) Dhruv Bhusan Dubey.

A case under Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 303(2) (theft) of the BNS was registered at Phase 3 police station and further investigation is underway, said police.

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