A biotechnology professor at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Lucknow was allegedly cheated of ₹50.19 lakh over a period of six months by cyber fraudsters posing as Life Insurance Corporation of India officials. Dinesh Raj Modi approached the authorities after repeatedly transferring money to reactivate a lapsed insurance policy, only to face continuous demands for additional funds without receiving any genuine service or documentation. Lucknow Cyber Crime Police registered a First Information Report following the complaint, initiating an investigation into the suspects, the communication channels, and the financial trail.
Fraudsters Posed as Head Office Staff to Initiate Contact
The operation began in April 2026 when the complainant received a phone call from an individual identifying himself as Vikram Singh from the accounts department at the LIC headquarters in Delhi. The caller told the professor that his lapsed insurance policy could be restored once specific administrative formalities were completed. Relying on these assurances, the professor agreed to proceed and was directed to coordinate with two associates identified as H. Lalduhsange and Anit Panwar.
The two suspects communicated with Modi through regular telephone calls and WhatsApp messages, issuing instructions on the procedural steps and payments required for the revival. Convinced that he was dealing with legitimate representatives of the state-run insurer, the professor initiated the first payment of ₹2 lakh on April 16, 2026. The initial transaction was followed by persistent contact from the accused, who systematically requested further deposits under various administrative pretexts.
Funds Routed to Multiple Accounts Under Persistent Pressure
Over the subsequent months, the suspects maintained consistent pressure on the academic to ensure a steady flow of payments. The complaint notes that the callers occasionally used intimidation alongside persuasion to compel compliance whenever hesitation arose. Rather than directing funds to an official corporate account, the fraudsters provided details for multiple individual accounts, as well as one linked to a commercial entity named DK Enterprises.
Between April and October 2026, the complainant executed a series of electronic transfers from his bank accounts at Canara Bank and Bank of Baroda. The transactions recorded in the complaint include individual transfers of ₹2.50 lakh, ₹3.50 lakh, ₹2.67 lakh, ₹3.60 lakh, ₹2.58 lakh, and ₹2.78 lakh, alongside several other payments. By the time the transactions ceased in October, the total sum transferred across various accounts reached ₹50,19,800. Despite the substantial outlay, the complainant received no official verification or policy documentation.
Police Register FIR After Family Consultation and Portal Complaint
The ongoing demands for capital eventually raised suspicions, prompting the professor to review the prolonged engagement with his family members. Realizing that the entire process bore the hallmarks of financial fraud, Modi formally reported the matter through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. The formal complaint subsequently prompted action from the Lucknow Cyber Crime Police, who lodged an official case to trace the perpetrators.
The police registered the FIR under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, alongside Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, covering offenses related to cheating, cheating by personation, and identity theft via computer systems. Investigators are tracing the financial trail across the designated bank accounts to determine the identities of the account holders and the flow of funds. The probe aims to establish the precise roles played by Vikram Singh, H. Lalduhsange, Anit Panwar, and DK Enterprises in executing the scheme.
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