Lucknow Police arrest two for defrauding man of Rs 10 lakh through Instagram

Lucknow: Lucknow Police have arrested two men for defrauding a 21-year-old man of Rs 10 lakh by promising to arrange a loan for a small startup through the Udyam Setu platform and subsequently threatening him and his family with serious consequences.

According to police, the complainant, Aman Kumar, son of Kailash Kumar and a resident of Ghantepe Gadhiya in the Dargah Saadatganj area of Lucknow, submitted a complaint at the Vibhutikhand police station on October 12, alleging that the accused had fraudulently obtained Rs 10 lakh from him online on the pretext of helping him establish a small business and secure a loan.

The complainant further said that the accused attempted to extort additional money by threatening to kill him and cause serious bodily harm to him and his family members.

Following the complaint, an FIR (No. 0392/2026) was registered at the Vibhutikhand police station under Sections 318(4) and 308(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Sadiq Hasnain, son of Shakeel Hasnain, and Shoaib Zafar, son of Zafar Saeed. Both accused are residents of Bihar's Patna district. Sub-Inspector Raghuvendra Pandey is investigating the case.

Acting under the supervision of senior police officials and the leadership of the Vibhutikhand station house officer, a police team was formed to trace and arrest the accused.

On October 12, acting on information provided by the complainant and local inputs, the team arrested both men near Blent House Cafe in Kisan Bazaar, within the jurisdiction of the Vibhutikhand police station.

According to preliminary information, the accused targeted individuals interested in starting small businesses and startups through Instagram, offering loans and financial assistance. They reportedly lured victims with attractive schemes, gained their trust and collected money through various means.

Police said the accused demanded additional payments after receiving the initial amount. When victims refused to pay, they were threatened with death, serious bodily harm and the filing of false cases against them and their family members.

The investigation is underway to establish the accused's precise role, identify any other individuals involved and determine whether they were linked to similar cases of fraud and extortion.

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