Police identified the arrested men as Ajay Verma and Vedprakash Verma, residents of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Investigators said the duo allowed their bank accounts to be used to route the defrauded money and received commission for their role.
According to the Crime Branch, the fraud unfolded between November 22 and 24, 2025. The victim, Anil Kumar Nanhoria of Sanjeevani Nagar, received a call from a person posing as a Department of Telecom official, claiming a SIM card issued in his name was being misused. He was then directed to contact another number, where callers impersonating IPS officers allegedly linked him to a fabricated human trafficking case.
Police said the fraudsters escalated the pressure through video calls, fake FIRs and forged Supreme Court notices sent via WhatsApp. The victim was warned of arrest, asset seizure and imprisonment unless he cooperated with a “confidential investigation.” Under sustained intimidation, he was instructed to liquidate his fixed deposits and transfer funds to a purported “Supreme Court account.”
On November 24, the victim transferred ₹76 lakh via RTGS to an ICICI Bank account later traced to Ajay Verma. Subsequent investigation revealed the documents were fake. The victim reported the matter to the Cyber Police and Crime Branch after realising he had been cheated.
Crime Branch Inspector Jitendra Patkar said Verma admitted receiving the funds and forwarding most of the amount to other accounts after retaining a one percent commission. Vedprakash Verma allegedly introduced him to the fraudsters and facilitated the transactions.
Police said the arrests are part of a wider probe into an organised cyber fraud network. Investigators have found that nearly ₹3 crore was routed through linked accounts on the same day. Efforts are underway to identify and arrest the alleged mastermind and recover the remaining funds.
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