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Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Cons duped 100 across India in 907cr fraud; 3 held from Rae Bareli
Lucknow: The Rae Bareli police on Thursday arrested three cyber fraudsters for duping over 100 individuals across the country of over Rs 900 crore. The accused — Javed Jalal and Mathiazhagan from Chennai and Dilshad Alam from Bihar — had even set up a shell company by the name of Vanavil Business Solutions in Chennai to launder proceeds from cybercrimes. Rae Bareli additional SP Sanjeev Sinha said the gang lured victims with fake offers of luxury holiday packages in Dubai, and iPhones, as well as other schemes like winning a lottery and lucrative honeymoon packages in different countries. They extracted money under the pretext of registration fees and other charges. Sinha said the accused were part of a larger syndicate involved in nationwide cyber fraud operations. The arrest came after investigators were alerted to high-value transactions in two Axis Bank accounts worth a total of ₹907 crore. Further detailing the modus operandi of the gang, Sinha said the accused lured individuals with promises of commissions, acquired SIM cards, and forged documents in their names, using them to open multiple bank accounts. These accounts were then used to receive scam money routed from across India, primarily from agents based in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu. The money would either be withdrawn and deposited into gang-controlled accounts or used for bill payments and mobile recharges, earning the fraudsters commissions, the officer added. Javed revealed that in 2018, he and Mathiyazhagan worked for Nxtigen Services in Madurai where they met one Mehtab Alam, who later helped them establish Vanavil Business Solutions. "Our fintech app Alpha Pay brought in crores in commission. When authorities began freezing accounts over suspicious activity, we created new ones and continued operations. Later, Mehtab began giving us cash in Chennai, which we then redeposited and routed to designated accounts," he said. The official said Mehtab's brother Dilshad Alam was made an Alpha Pay agent and he operated an e-wallet account through which large sums of money were moved. Cash Deposit Machine (CDM) deposits were frequently made by agents such as Sanjay Pandey from Rae Bareli, who is now absconding and believed to hold a significant portion of the gang's funds. He added that the network operated like a shadow banking system, camouflaging large-scale illegal fund movement under the guise of fintech. Forensic audits are underway, and details of associated shell companies and digital wallets are being traced. The trio was sent in judicial custody, and more arrests were likely as the investigation is set to widen across multiple states.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
‘The brown coat that spoke theloudest in court'
Lucknow: In a chilling double murder case that initially seemed to lack concrete leads, it was not a weapon or direct confession that broke it open—but a brown coat. Government counsel MK Singh, who led the prosecution, described it as the silent witness that ultimately "spoke the loudest in court". According to Singh, the turning point came during a police search at the residence of prime accused Raja Kolandar alias Ram Niranjan in Ram Sagar village in Allahabad district. "The accused himself led police to a brown coat hidden in his house," he said. "It belonged to Manoj Singh, one of the victims. That coat became Exhibit-1 and the most crucial link in the chain of evidence." Singh detailed how the coat bore a tailor's label—Famous Apsara Tailors, Ratapur Crossing, Rae Bareli—and was positively identified by Manoj's family. "Manoj was last seen wearing that exact coat on January 23, the day he left with the passengers who would later kill him and his associate," Singh said. Presented in court in a sealed bundle, the coat was matched and authenticated, confirming its origin and ownership. Singh emphasized how the accused stripped the bodies of belongings to hinder identification but made one crucial mistake. "They discarded all other clothes but kept the coat—perhaps thinking it was valuable. That decision exposed them." Witnesses corroborated this link. Shiv Shankar and Amarnath Singh identified the coat and confirmed the chain of events. "The coat helped us place the victim, the accused, and the timing together in a narrative that could stand in court," Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Time of India
13 women among 23 held for duping villagers across UP
Lucknow: The Rae Bareli police busted an inter-state gang of con artists and arrested 23 members, including 13 women, near Maharajganj on Wednesday. Jewellery worth Rs 18 lakh was recovered from their possession. The mastermind and his wife are on the run, police said. The women, who hailed from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, visited villages in Lucknow, Barabanki, Bhadohi, Banda, Mahoba, and Kanpur draped in faded sarees, wearing friendly smiles, and balancing baskets filled with shiny utensils. Once they gained the villagers' trust, they would ask to see gold ornaments under the pretext of duplication or exchange—and disappear. "Every member had a role," said a senior Rae Bareli officer. "Some scouted locations, some posed as traders, and others arranged getaway vehicles. Their strength lay in the trust they built within minutes," said additional SP Rae Bareli, Sanjeev Sinha. On April 25, they knocked on doors in Mohanlalganj, offering to trade old clothes and utensils for gleaming new ones. The village women welcomed them in and made exchanges that seemed more generous than fair. A week later, they returned—with an even bigger offer: exchanging old gold jewellery for new. Eleven women handed over their precious ornaments—some gave their wedding gold, others heirlooms passed down through generations—but the con artists never returned. Police said the gang duped women in similar fashion across villages in Barabanki, Bhadohi, Banda, Mahoba, and Kanpur. Special police teams were formed under the direction of the superintendent of police, Rae Bareli, led by the ASP and supervised by the circle officer of Maharajganj. In a joint operation conducted by the Chandapur, Maharajganj, and SOG Surveillance teams, the arrests were made near Maharajganj. Police identified the gang leader as Vinodmal Pahadi, a resident of Saurakhapa, Barkatha, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. Both he and his wife, Pyaridevi, are currently absconding.
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Rahul's Rae Bareli message sets 2027 template for party workers
Those who work hard would play a key role in the run-up to 2027 UP assembly elections while the shirkers are free to leave the Congress – this was the sum and substance of Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi's signal to his party's booth level workers at a closed-door programme at Dalmau in his constituency on April 29. While giving this indication, he reminded the party workers of the speech he delivered at the Congress Working Committee meeting at Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on April 8. Amid loud applause, Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said, 'I am not sure whether you heard my Gujarat speech. I made two to three points and spoke about the categorisation of horses- these include a racehorse, a horse used in marriages (to carry the bridegroom), while in the third category is the horse that limps. The Congress party sometimes sends the racehorse to marriage processions while the one meant for marriage is sent as a racehorse.' 'The Congress has begun the work to bring about changes in the party organisation. We will send the racehorse to run in the race. The one meant for marriage will be sent to marriage while the limping horse will be sent to the BJP, and they are going (to the BJP) as you can see,' he said. Asking party leaders to induct more women in the party organisation, he said, 'We will also have to increase the number of women here. The women are 50% of the population.' His observations assume significance as the Congress's Sangathan Srajan programme to revamp the party organisation is underway, and the party is gearing up for the 2027 UP assembly polls. Several senior leaders, who once held important positions in the Congress organisation in the past, have left the party and joined the BJP over the years. Those who have left the Congress include former Union ministers, MPs, MLAs, and ex-senior office bearers of the party. 'Rahul Gandhi gave us this message that only the workers will lead the party in the 2027 UP assembly elections, while the shirkers may leave. We are following this formula as we build the party organisation,' Rae Bareli District Congress Committee president Pankaj Tiwari said. Expressing the same sentiments, Amethi District Congress Committee president Pradeep Singhal said, 'Although Rahul Gandhi made these observations in Rae Bareli, we too are following this sincerely. We hope to complete the organisational revamp in the next two to three months.' Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Rai said Rahul Gandhi has shown the way to the party men. 'Rahul Gandhi has made it clear that those fighting for the party will get a push ahead of the 2027 UP assembly polls. We are taking such workers along in the organisation building drive and ensuring that they are not left out. He has shown the path, and we are following his formula,' Rai said.
New Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Rahul Gandhi reaches Rae Bareli on two-day visit to UP
LUCKNOW: Former Congress president and Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi arrived on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency on Tuesday morning. He commenced his visit by distributing over a dozen solar-powered carts donated by an NGO to the underprivileged. While winding up his two-day visit to Rae Bareli and Amethi, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday, is slated to visit the family members of Kanpur's Shubham Dwivedi who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. The Leader of Opposition (LoP) also inaugurated 2 MW Atom Solar Roof Plant and the Atom Electric Charging Station at Visaka Industries Limited, Kundanganj. On the way to the inauguration venue, the Congress leader stopped at many places to greet his supporters. He also unveiled a statue of Subhash Chandra Bose at Civil Lines and then headed to the Bachat Bhawan (district collectorate) to attend the DISHA (District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee) meeting along with local leaders and public representatives. During the meeting he raised questions over the Jal Jeevan Mission, claiming that a sample survey showed that the potable water schemes had not reached people so far. At some places, leakage in the pipeline was spotted, and many households had not received the connection yet. He said that a committee comprising of officers and public representatives should be set up to check the authenticity of potable water schemes. He expressed disappointment over central schemes, claiming that of the 25 trainees of the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Rural Skill Programme, only three could get placement. He called the programme a total flop. Rahul Gandhi also visited the Railway Coach factory. Rahul Gandhi's visit to Rae Bareli on Tuesday will conclude in Amethi on Wednesday, thus, he will be keeping one of the promises he made during the 2024 general election that he would give equal treatment to both the Lok Sabha constituencies. Both Rae Bareli and Amethi were considered to be the strongholds of the Nehru-Gandhi family till Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi to Smriti Irani in 2019. As Rahul Gandhi, who has represented Amethi Lok Sabha seat thrice in 2004, 2009 and 2014, decided to shift to Rae Bareli, and he was replaced by family loyalist KL Sharma against then Union minister Smriti Irani in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In Amethi, besides visiting the ordnance factory project at Korwa, Amethi, Rahul Gandhi is likely to inaugurate an open-heart surgery operation theatre at Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, Munshiganj. The ordnance factory project facility is for the production of AK-203 assault rifles, a Kalashnikov variant, as part of an Indo-Russian joint venture. Rahul Gandhi is proposed to pay a visit to Indira Gandhi Nursing College at Munshiganj in the constituency. Earlier, on Tuesday, upon arriving at Lucknow airport, he was received by state Congress chief Ajay Rai, Amethi MP Kishori Lal Sharma, and other local leaders. Meanwhile, after winning from Rae Bareli in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, this has been the fifth visit of the Congress MP to his constituency. However, after the DISHA meeting, Uttar Pradesh Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dinesh Pratap Singh, who was also present at the meeting, addressed the media and made critical remarks about the Congress leader's intentions. Singh accused Rahul Gandhi of attending the meeting merely to register his presence for media attention. "He comes just to make headlines. On the way, he might stop to eat jalebi or sit at a cobbler's shop because it gets him media coverage," said the minister.
