1. Case Brief
On May 16, 2025, the complainant Anil Kumar Singh, son of Bhanu Narayan Singh and a resident of Banakat village under Lohia Police Station, Varanasi, filed a formal complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Varanasi. He alleged that he was defrauded of ₹14 lakh by cybercriminals who promised to grant him a franchise of Adani Cement. Based on the complaint, a case (Crime No. 19/2025) was registered under sections 318(4) and 66D of the IT Act. Inspector Rajkishore Pandey was assigned the investigation.
2. Modus Operandi
The gang operated by purchasing domain names that closely resembled those of well-established companies such as McDonald’s, Jubilant FoodWorks (Domino’s), JSW Steel, Adani Cement, KFC, and Haldiram. They created fake websites mimicking the originals and promoted them via social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Interested individuals seeking franchise opportunities were contacted by the gang, who lured them using forged documents such as intent letters and approval letters. Victims were then persuaded to deposit money in the name of registration fees, security deposits, GST payments, etc., into fraudulent bank accounts. The gang would then split the collected amount among themselves.
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3. Arrest and Seizure
A team formed under the direction of senior police officials arrested two key members of the cyber fraud syndicate, including the gang leader. The accused were identified as:
- Sanjeet Singh, Bhatpara Police Station, North 24 Parganas, Kolkata (approx. age 35)
- Krishna Shaw, Jagaddal Police Station, North 24 Parganas, Kolkata (approx. age 29)
Recovered Items:
- Android mobiles: 09
- Keypad mobiles: 03
- SIM cards: 02
- ATM cards: 02
- Wi-Fi dongles: 02
- Laptops: 01
- Customer data diaries: 02
- Cash: ₹15,430
- Frozen amount from bank accounts: ₹5,83,000
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4. Team Led By
The operation was conducted under the supervision of:
- Shri Mohit Agarwal, Commissioner of Police, Varanasi Commissionerate
- Shri Sarvanan T, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Varanasi Commissionerate
- Smt. Ritu Srivastava, Additional DCP, Varanasi Commissionerate
- Shri Vijay Pratap Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police
5. Name of Police Station
Cyber Crime Police Station, Varanasi Commissionerate
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change.