Three men, Anurag Katwari, Prakhar Pratap Singh, and Anupam Singh, were arrested by the Cyber Crime Police Station in Lucknow for allegedly duping a woman of ₹56 lakh after posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers. The accused allegedly forced the woman into digital confinement, claiming she was involved in money laundering and terrorism cases. The victims were informed that their Aadhaar and mobile numbers were linked to illegal activities and that a case had been registered against her in Andheri East, Mumbai. The accused, who were in their twenties, were instructed to isolate herself in a room and remain visible on video calls at all times. They were also shown a fabricated arrest warrant and seizure order. Under the pretext of making a court-mandated payment, the woman was initially forced to transfer ₹47 lakh, followed by further transactions amounting to ₹56 lakh. Additional DCP (Crime/Cyber) Rallapalli Vasanth Kumar said the accused impersonated officials from agencies such as the police, RBI, and CBI. They allegedly convinced victims they were under “critical arrest” and that compliance through money transfers was necessary to avoid jail. Investigations revealed that the money was routed through multiple bank accounts, converted into cryptocurrency (USDT), and dispersed among the members of the gang. An FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act has been registered.
