The Kanpur Cyber Police have arrested three persons in connection with a digital arrest scam in which a local resident was cheated of ₹48.20 lakh, while unearthing a broader cyber fraud network running into ₹1.42 crore. According to investigators, the accused impersonated officials from the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Central Bureau of Investigation to intimidate the victim, identified as Swaroop Nagar resident Yogesh Chandra Mishra, into transferring funds under the threat of impending legal prosecution.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Vasu, Atish Kumar, and Kanchan Prajapati, while a fourth suspect, Mukul Chaubey, remains at large. Police stated that the gang established contact with Mishra over the phone, falsely identifying themselves as senior law enforcement personnel. They subjected him to intense psychological pressure and maintained the threat of a digital arrest, ultimately coercing him into sending money across several bank accounts.
Alert Bank Staff Unravel Coercive Extortion
The operation came to light when Mishra visited a bank branch to prematurely break a fixed deposit valued at around ₹1 crore. Observing his distress and suspecting foul play behind the sudden liquidation and planned withdrawal, alert bank officials intervened and notified the police. The prompt tip-off enabled cybercrime investigators to initiate an immediate inquiry into the recipient accounts and trace the financial trail.
Preliminary findings revealed that the perpetrators operated through an entity named Baukoyo Contractors Private Limited, incorporated using forged documentation. A commercial bank account opened in the name of this fraudulent enterprise served as the primary conduit for siphoning illicit gains. Records show that ₹25.98 lakh of the extorted sum was deposited into this single account across 15 separate transactions before being rapidly dispersed.
Rapid Layering Across Multi-State Bank Accounts
Financial analysis conducted by investigators revealed that the ₹25.98 lakh received in the firm’s account was routed on the very same day into approximately 611 different bank accounts distributed across multiple states. Authorities are now auditing the fund trails to establish the ultimate destination of the extorted capital and identify intermediaries who facilitated the multi-layered transfers.
Forensic examination of mobile handsets seized from the arrested trio yielded critical digital evidence, including forged corporate papers, call logs, WhatsApp communications, and extensive banking records. Verification through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal linked these bank accounts to at least four other cybercrime complaints registered nationwide, suggesting the infrastructure was routinely deployed for wide-ranging financial frauds.
Investigation Focuses On Shell Entities And Absconding Accused
Investigators are currently scrutinizing all 611 accounts to ascertain whether they functioned as mule accounts operated on commission or formed part of an organized syndicate. The probe has also expanded to encompass individuals involved in fabricating corporate documentation, opening fraudulent commercial accounts, and coordinating inter-state financial conduits.
The digital arrest method relies on posing as police, federal investigators, or judicial authorities to keep victims isolated and confined to continuous video calls under constant surveillance. The Kanpur police are continuing their interrogation of the three arrested individuals, pursuing leads to apprehend Mukul Chaubey, and mapping out the full scope of the ₹1.42 crore syndicate to trace the principal beneficiaries.
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