Two cyber thugs arrested in Kaushambi for opening bank accounts in villagers'€™ names

Kaushambi (UP), Jan 9 (PTI) Police have arrested two cyber criminals allegedly involved in opening bank accounts in the names of villagers on the pretext of providing financial benefits and using them for online fraud, police said on Friday.

Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar said the arrests were made following a complaint by Vidyasagar Yadav, a resident of Alpi Ka Pura village under the Manjhanpur area, on Thursday.

It was a joint operation of Manjhanpur police station and the cyber police, he said.

The complainant alleged that Sanjay Saroj, a resident of Bareisa village under Pashchim Sharira police station here, had fraudulently got an account opened in his name at Indian Overseas Bank, Manjhanpur, took his ATM card and obtained a SIM card in his name, following which around Rs 12 lakh was siphoned off through online transactions.

A case was registered against Sanjay Saroj and his associate Asif, a resident of Firozpur Jhirka in Nuh district of Haryana, and a special team was constituted to probe the matter. Acting on technical and electronic evidence, the police arrested both the accused.

Kumar said a Mahindra Thar vehicle, three Aadhaar cards, three smartphones, cheque books of several banks, 21 ATM cards, 17 SIM cards of different companies, three PAN cards and eight fake vehicle number plates of different states were recovered from their possession.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed that they lured poor people with money to open bank accounts in different banks and retained their ATM cards, SIM cards and cheque books. They used these accounts to facilitate fraud by promising online loans, returns from share market investments, benefits under government schemes and other inducements, the police said.

The accused also told police that the number plate affixed on the seized vehicle was fake and that they kept multiple number plates, which were changed frequently to avoid identification.

After completing legal formalities, the accused are being produced before the court, the SP added. PTI COR KIS APL APL