Daijiworld Media Network – Shahjahanpur

Shahjahanpur, Jul 2: In a shocking case of cyber fraud, Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested seven young men who allegedly posed as officials from central agencies like the ED and CBI to ‘digitally arrest’ a 60-year-old man and swindle him of over Rs 1 cr through a fake online court hearing.

According to Shahjahanpur Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi, the accused contacted the victim, Sharad Chand, on May 6, claiming he was under probe for an illegal transaction of Rs 2.8 cr. The gang then conducted fake virtual court proceedings via WhatsApp, posing as lawyers and judges, and subjected the victim to continuous intimidation for nearly a month.

The fraudsters manipulated Chand, who is associated with an NGO, into transferring Rs 1.04 cr to 40 different bank accounts linked to nine individuals posing as advocates. Isolated under the impression of being under legal custody, the victim did not inform anyone and later approached the police after realizing the scam.

The arrested accused have been identified as Sachin, Prashant, Gautam Singh, Sandeep Kumar, Syed Saif, Aryan Sharma, and Pawan Yadav, all aged between 20 and 28. They were booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and impersonation, along with provisions of the IT Act, and have been sent to jail.

Police said an account linked to the gang had suspicious transactions totalling Rs 9 cr and is currently under scrutiny. Authorities have urged the public to remain alert against such cyber frauds, including digital arrests, and to report suspicious activity to the nearest police station or the helpline number 1530.