Varanasi: Eight more cyber fraudsters held for duping teacher of ₹3.55 cr

Police recovered ₹3.70 lakh in cash, five mobile phones, an ATM card, and a cheque from the arrested fraudsters

Eight more people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in duping a retired woman teacher of ₹3.55 crore in a cyber fraud here last month. Police recovered ₹3.70 lakh in cash, five mobile phones, an ATM card, and a cheque from the arrested fraudsters. With this, a total of 14 accused have been arrested in connection with the crime so far.

Based on a complaint from the victim, a case was registered under relevant sections of IPC against unidentified fraudsters and an investigation was started which revealed that a total of 14 people were involved in the fraud. (FOR REPRESENTATION)

As per the police, those arrested are Mahendra Singh Solanki, Teetu Kashyap and Sushil Kumar Yadav of Delhi, Akash Gupta, Sahil Katariya, Tara Sehrawat and Mayank Bhageria, Gurugram besides Sunil Vishnoi of Rajasthan.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime), Varanasi, Chandrakant Meena, said on March 8, Shampa Rakshit, a retired teacher residing in Sigra police station area here, filed a complaint alleging that she received a call on her mobile from an unidentified number.

The caller, posing as an employee of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), informed Rakshit of an impending deactivation of her mobile number.

Afterwards, another person posing as a police officer from Vile Parle Police Station in Mumbai called and accused her of engaging in illegal activities and threatened her with arrest.

The caller then obtained details about her family and bank accounts and instructed her to transfer money to an alleged RBI account under the pretext of a probe.

Meena said that based on a complaint from the victim, a case was registered under relevant sections of IPC against unidentified fraudsters and an investigation was started which revealed that a total of 14 people were involved in the fraud.

Assistant commissioner of police (cybercrime) Gaurav Kumar said that six accused were arrested on March 20. They were identified as Taufik Khan, a cashier in a private sector bank in Lucknow; Nurul Huda, regional head of a private sector bank in Lucknow; Sarfaraj Aalam; Arif Ahmad Khan, all residents of different localities in Lucknow; Om Ashwin Bhai Goyani; and Neeraj Batuk Bhai Goti, both residents of Surat in Gujarat.

On Monday, eight more accomplices, including the gang leader, have also been arrested and further investigation is on, he added.