Raipur police busted a major inter-state cyber fraud operation with the arrest of five individuals from Uttar Pradesh in connection with scams worth crores across India under ‘Operation Cyber Shield’, a joint effort by the Range Cyber Police Station, Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit, and Vidhan Sabha Police. The breakthrough came after a complaint from Sonia Hanspal, a resident of Amasivani, Vidhan Sabha. She reported being defrauded of Rs 2.83 crore between May 21 and July 10, 2025. The fraudsters, posing as ‘Delhi Cyber Wing’ and ‘Delhi Police’, digitally ‘arrested’ her via WhatsApp video call, fabricating claims of multiple bank accounts and money laundering linked to her Aadhar card. Taking the crime seriously, senior police officials in Raipur formed a specialised team.

 

Through detailed questioning of the victim and extensive technical analysis of mobile numbers and bank accounts, the suspects were traced to Uttar Pradesh. A four-member police team traveled to Gorakhpur and Lucknow, apprehending Akash Sahu, Sher Bahadur Singh alias Monu, Anup Mishra, Naveen Mishra, and Anand Kumar Singh.

 

Investigations revealed their elaborate scheme. Akash Sahu and Sher Bahadur Singh arranged SIM cards and handled WhatsApp video calls. Anup Mishra, Naveen Mishra, and Anand Kumar Singh created over 40 fake companies such as Shri Narayani Infra Developer Private Limited, Shri Ganesha Developers to open bank accounts for illicit money transfers and withdrawals. Notably, Anand Kumar Singh operates a Punjab National Bank Customer Service Center in Deoria, UP, raising concerns about potential misuse of his position. Authorities have seized bank accounts, checkbooks, SIM cards, and mobile phones from the arrested individuals, and have successfully frozen Rs 43 lakh in their accounts. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other absconding members of the fraud ring and identify and attach their properties. The accused are also linked to various fraud methods used nationwide.