PRATAPGARH: In a case of a digital arrest where a 52-year-old man was driven to suicide following financial exploitation, Pratapgarh police arrested four accused, including a minor, and booked them under the charges of abetment to suicide, impersonation, criminal conspiracy, and others. Four others are still absconding.
Gyandas Gautam, 52, was a safai karamchari in Panchayat Raj department and he committed suicide by hanging himself with a rope around his neck at his house.
Those arrested have been identified as Rohit Prajapati (20), Amit Singh Chauhan (20), and Veer Pratap (33) from Kanpur.
According to the FIR filed by Premdas, brother of the victim Gyandas Gautam, unidentified individuals trapped the deceased through digital means, forcing him to make multiple payments. Investigations into bank transactions and call records revealed that Gyandas transferred money to several unknown accounts under duress.
The cybercriminals, posing as Crime Branch officials from Lucknow police, made threatening calls, claiming they would falsely implicate him in legal cases and send him to jail. As his financial resources depleted, Gyandas resorted to pawning family jewellery and borrowing money to meet the extortion demands. The mounting psychological pressure and economic distress ultimately led him to take his own life on Jan 30. He gave away Rs 1 lakh along with the jewellery. Following his death, an FIR was registered at Fatanpur police station in Pratapgarh.
Pratapgarh SP Anil Kumar Singh said that on Feb 7, sub-inspector Shailesh Yadav and his team launched an operation based on surveillance data. Their investigation led them to a suspicious mobile number registered in the name of Rohit Prajapati, a resident of Bhimsen, Kanpur Nagar.
Acting swiftly, police tracked the location and conducted a raid near a playground on the Bhimsen-Rewari Road in Kanpur Nagar. “During the operation, police recovered crucial evidence linking the gang to their fraudulent activities, including fake Crime Branch ID cards used to impersonate law enforcement officials and intimidate victims. Multiple mobile phones and SIM cards were used to contact and threaten their targets. Bank transaction records showed digital payments extorted through PhonePe, Paytm, and other online platforms. Pawn receipts and bank slips proved that victims were forced to liquidate assets to meet the criminals’ demands,” said the officer.
The gang members also duped over 100 others, but due to societal stigma, people have not filed an FIR.
Police are actively pursuing the four absconding members of the gang. Authorities have warned the public to remain vigilant against similar online scams and report any suspicious activities to cybercrime units.
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