Bareilly. Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district have uncovered an alleged organised gang that targeted unemployed youths with promises of jobs and government schemes before taking loans worth lakhs of rupees in their names. Four people have been arrested in a joint operation by Bhojipura police, the Special Operations Group and the surveillance team. According to police, the gang obtained identity documents of needy youths, altered the information and used them to present the victims as salaried or government employees, enabling personal loans of ₹15 lakh to ₹20 lakh to be sanctioned from banks.
The accused allegedly told victims that the loan money had been provided under the Prime Minister’s self-employment scheme and did not have to be repaid. After the money was credited to the victims’ accounts, the gang allegedly gave them only a small portion and withdrew the remaining amount using ATM cards, cheques and other banking instruments.
Identity Documents Used to Build False Profiles
During questioning, the accused allegedly told investigators that they first approached unemployed youths and obtained their identity documents. New SIM cards were then issued using those documents. The accused allegedly changed addresses and opened bank accounts at different branches to establish a financial profile for the victims.
Police said the gang prepared forged identity documents, fabricated Form 16 documents and fake salary slips. To make the victims appear to be government employees, money was deposited into their bank accounts as salary payments for two to three months. The regular deposits were allegedly used to create the appearance of stable employment and improve their credit profiles.
The accused then allegedly applied for personal loans from Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank and other banks. Police said loans ranging from ₹15 lakh to ₹20 lakh were obtained in several cases.
₹20 Lakh Loan, Victim Received Only ₹71,000
Investigators have identified a case involving Sanjeev Kumar of Lakhimpur Kheri. According to police, a ₹20 lakh loan was sanctioned in his name from Bank of Baroda. After the money was credited, the gang allegedly handed Sanjeev only ₹71,000 and retained the remaining amount, which was allegedly distributed among the accused.
Victims were allegedly told that the money had been sanctioned under a government scheme and that they would not be required to repay it. Police suspect that this deception allowed the accused to conceal the actual financial liability being created in the victims’ names.
75 ATM Cards and 28 Cheque Books Recovered
Police recovered ₹3.50 lakh in cash from the arrested accused. The seizure also included 75 ATM cards, 28 cheque books, seven bank passbooks, 12 mobile phones, 11 SIM cards, eight identity cards and two PAN cards.
Investigators also recovered three allegedly forged identity documents, fabricated salary slips, Form 16 documents and a purported forged stamp of Canara Bank, Moradabad.
The recovered banking material and documents are being examined to determine the scale of the alleged operation. Police are also analysing the mobile phones and SIM cards to identify the accused persons’ contacts, potential victims and other members of the network.
Four Arrested, Fifth Accused on the Run
The arrested accused have been identified as Ram Nayan Gupta, Rakesh Gupta, Anil Gupta and Rishabh Kumar Saxena. According to police, Ram Nayan Gupta and Rakesh Gupta had previously been active in Delhi and allegedly shifted their operations to Bareilly in January.
A fifth accused, Aamir Khan alias Yamir Khan, a resident of the Railway Colony area of Izzatnagar, remains absconding. Police teams are conducting raids to locate and arrest him.
A case has been registered against the accused at Bhojipura police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police records reportedly show that some of the arrested accused have previously faced cheating cases at police stations in Bareilly and Budaun.
Investigators are now examining how many people’s identities were allegedly misused to obtain bank loans and how much money was withdrawn through the accounts. Bank records, mobile data and the recovered documents are expected to help investigators identify additional victims and determine whether more people were involved in the alleged loan fraud network.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
