In a major breakthrough, the police have arrested four individuals allegedly involved in a fraudulent scheme that duped a victim of Rs31.55 lakh. The arrested accused—identified as Dev Bhati, Robin Solanki, Vishnu Solanki, and Aakash Kumar Jain—are suspected to have links with fraudsters based in China.
The scam came to light when, on July 18, a complaint was filed by a victim who claimed to have received a call on July 13, informing him that a mobile SIM card issued in his name was linked to multiple criminal activities. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) M. Harsha Vardhan, the caller falsely told the victim that his SIM card had been used in crimes like money laundering and human trafficking, and that the police from Aaram Bagh in Lucknow were searching for him.
The caller further intimidated the victim, claiming that 17 FIRs had been filed against him, leading to a threat of arrest unless the victim made a payment to clear his name. Under duress, the victim transferred a total of Rs31.55 lakh to various bank accounts controlled by the accused.
As part of the investigation, police traced the bank accounts involved in the fraudulent transactions. They discovered that multiple accounts were opened in different cities under various names. The accounts saw multi-crore transactions within short periods, with the illicit funds quickly transferred to other accounts.
The investigation progressed rapidly, leading to the arrest of Dev Bhati on July 26. Shortly after, Robin and Vishnu Solanki were apprehended on July 28 for providing details of the bank accounts used in the scam. Further interrogation revealed that within just two days, Rs1.25 crore was credited into Bhati’s account.
The final breakthrough came on July 31 when Aakash Kumar Jain was arrested in Mahipalpur, Delhi. Jain is believed to be the main handler of the scam, coordinating with fraudsters operating from China via social media platforms.
The police have recovered seven mobile phones and a laptop used in the operation. More than 150 bank accounts have been identified, which were used to launder the stolen funds. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to trace any additional individuals involved in the international fraud network.
