In a major breakthrough, Lucknow Police on Monday arrested two more suspects in a Rs90 lakh fraud case involving impersonation of Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officials. The arrested accused — Manoj Yadav (21) and Jitendra Yadav alias Jeetu (23) — are residents of Sikar, Rajasthan. With these arrests, the total number of accused held in the case has risen to five.
Earlier, on February 17, police had apprehended three other accused — Mayank Srivastava, Irshad, and Manish — in connection with the same case.
During interrogation, Manoj and Jitendra initially denied involvement, claiming they were lured and pressured into joining the racket. However, sustained questioning reportedly exposed their role in managing bank accounts and facilitating financial transactions. Investigators revealed that the duo operated under instructions from a handler allegedly based in Jaipur.
The fraud dates back to January 26, when complainant Veena Bajpai received a call from a man identifying himself as Ranjeet Kumar, who falsely claimed to be an ATS inspector posted at the headquarters. He allegedly threatened to implicate Bajpai and her husband in serious charges, including terrorism and money laundering.
The accused then instructed the victims to download the Signal messaging application for further communication. Through the app, another conspirator, posing as an ATS officer, sent forged Supreme Court orders and fake seizure notices to build credibility and intensify fear.
Under pressure and fearing arrest, the couple transferred nearly Rs90 lakh into multiple bank accounts for so-called “account verification” and to avoid legal action.
Police are continuing their investigation to trace other members of the network and recover the defrauded amount.
