The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Uttar Pradesh arrested Anil Kumar Tiwari, an ex-Indian Air Force sergeant from Faizabad Road, Lucknow, for running a fake online investment scam that duped thousands across India. Tiwari had been evading arrest for over a decade.
Tiwari, son of a retired government scientist, retired from the IAF in 2009 after 17 years of service and became a key operative for M/s Uni Pay to You Marketing Pvt Ltd, an online investment company headquartered in Bengaluru with branches across India, including Unnao, Uttar Pradesh.
The company lured investors by promising to double investments within 10 months and offered unusually high returns on fixed deposits. Many victims included farmers, homemakers, and small business owners. Leveraging his military background and family reputation, Tiwari played a pivotal role as recruiter and field-level handler in northern India.
The company abruptly ceased operations without returning investors’ money, revealing a multi-crore scam. Complaints led to a 2013 criminal case at Unnao’s Kotwali police station under several IPC sections and the IT Act. The investigation was later handed over to Lucknow EOW.
So far, six accused have been arrested, while the scam’s alleged mastermind, Mookandhan Gangam, a Malaysian national and director of the company, remains at large. Authorities have issued a Look-Out Circular and are pursuing extradition.
