A grocery trader in the Bah area of Agra district was allegedly defrauded of ₹71.29 lakh after being intimidated with threats of a digital arrest by individuals posing as senior police officers. The elaborate extortion scheme was reportedly devised to evade returning a ₹15 lakh loan taken from the victim. Police have arrested one suspect, identified as Anant Barua alias Rishu Barua, and recovered ₹14.71 lakh in cash from his possession, while a manhunt is underway for his father and another associate.
Scheme Concocted to Evade Loan Repayment
The victim, Umashankar Gupta, a retired clerk who operates a grocery store in Gali Gopalji, had lent ₹15 lakh to Ramesh Barua, a resident of Sarai locality. When Gupta sought repayment of the borrowed funds, Ramesh allegedly conspired with his son, Anant Barua, and another unidentified associate to mount a fraudulent extortion plan instead of clearing the debt.
The suspects began intimidating the trader over WhatsApp calls, invoking the names of police personnel ranging from an inspector to a Deputy Inspector General. Callers repeatedly questioned Gupta about the origins of the lent funds, warning him that criminal charges would be pressed and that he faced imminent imprisonment. Fearing severe legal consequences, the victim yielded to repeated monetary demands, exhausting his personal savings before borrowing heavily from relatives and commercial contacts to satisfy the callers.
Family Intervention Exposes Extortion
The sustained intimidation came to light when the trader’s younger son, Aman, grew suspicious after noticing his father persistently borrowing money from extended family members. Upon being questioned, Gupta revealed the ongoing threats and the extortion he had been subjected to.
When family members subsequently confronted Anant Barua regarding the allegations, he reportedly reacted with anger and issued death threats against them. The victim’s family then approached the police with a formal complaint, prompting authorities to launch a preliminary inquiry and initiate measures to track down the suspects involved in the network.
Cash Seized and Associates Pursued
Acting on intelligence, police apprehended Anant Barua on Monday near Kutjhra on the Bah-Bateshwar Road. A search of a bag in his possession led to the recovery of ₹14.71 lakh in cash. Investigators stated that the recovered sum formed part of the extorted proceeds, with the accused allegedly admitting during interrogation that he was awaiting an associate to transfer or dispose of the money. He was subsequently produced before a local court and remanded to judicial custody.
Police are continuing their search for Ramesh Barua and the third accomplice. Investigators are currently scrutinizing three to four mobile numbers suspected to have been utilized during the operation. Digital records, call detail logs, and monetary trails are being analyzed to trace the remaining funds and ascertain whether the accused employed similar methods to target other victims.
Follow for daily updates on cybercrime, corporate fraud, DFIR, hacking, investigations, and digital forensics
