The Cyber Police Station in Delhi’s Shahdara district has busted a gang involved in impersonating Paytm executives and cheating street vendors and small business owners. Five accused have been arrested in connection with a cyber fraud case involving Rs 95,000, police said on Saturday.

According to the police, the accused allegedly targeted unsuspecting vendors and shopkeepers by posing as Paytm representatives and offering assistance with KYC-related issues, QR code updates and soundbox replacement. The investigation has revealed that the gang may have cheated around 50 to 60 victims using a similar modus operandi.

The case was registered as FIR No. 55/26 on October 26 at the Cyber Police Station, Shahdara, under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, following a complaint by Ramavtar, a vegetable vendor.

Police said that on October 20, two persons approached Ramavtar claiming to be Paytm executives. On the pretext of resolving KYC-related issues and updating his QR code soundbox, they took possession of his mobile phone. Subsequently, two unauthorised transactions of Rs 50,000 and Rs 45,000 were carried out, resulting in a total loss of Rs 95,000.

The investigation was assigned to Inspector Shweta Sharma. A dedicated team comprising Inspector Sharma, ASI Rajdeep, Head Constables Javed, Deepak and Narender was formed to crack the case.

The team worked under the leadership of SHO Cyber Police Station Vijay Kumar, under the supervision of ACP Operations Avdhesh Kumar and the overall supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdara.

During the investigation, police analysed the money trail, bank accounts and CCTV footage, which led to the arrest of five accused people.

Two of the accused impersonated Paytm executives to cheat victims, while the remaining three allegedly provided bank accounts to route and withdraw the cheated money.

The arrested accused have been identified as Juned, 23, a resident of Chhaprauli in Uttar Pradesh’s Baraut; Anas, 19, a resident of Sangam Vihar, Wazirabad; Mohit, 24, and Rohit, 19, both residents of Bhalswa Dairy in North Delhi; and Sumit Kumar, 19, a resident of Aya Nagar in South Delhi.

Police said a Paytm employee identity card was found on the mobile phone of Juned, who had previously been associated with the company. The accused are suspected to be involved in 50 to 60 similar incidents, while their bank accounts have been linked to around 20 cybercrime complaints and cases registered across India.

Six mobile phones, seven SIM cards, four ATM cards and three cash withdrawal slips were recovered during the investigation.

Further investigation is underway.

YSR Congress Party President and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday condemned the brutal attack on a Class 10 student inside a classroom in Andhra Pradesh’s Raptadu, calling it a “total collapse of law and order” under the TDP-led state government.

A Class 10 girl student is undergoing emergency medical treatment after being brutally attacked with a chainsaw inside her school premises in Raptadu, leaving her with severe injuries to her face, head, and throat, officials said.

The girl sustained deep wounds to her neck and abdomen, while her right hand was reportedly almost severed in the assault.

Another girl student, who attempted to intervene and save her, was also seriously injured during the attack. Both victims are currently battling for their lives at a private hospital.

Taking to X, Reddy said: “The barbaric chainsaw attack on a Class 10 student inside the classroom at Rapthadu ZP High School exposes the total collapse of law and order under the TDP coalition’s ‘Jungle Raj’.”

“How could an assailant freely storm into a government school and brutally assault a young girl? This shows the government’s utter negligence in ensuring the safety of children, even inside educational institutions,” he said.

The former Chief Minister also said that it is “unfortunate” that another student was also injured while she was trying to intervene.

“When governance takes a backseat to political vendetta and ‘Red Book’ rule, criminals run rampant without fear of the law,” he said.

“Injured students must be provided with the best emergency medical treatment immediately, and their families must be taken into confidence. We demand the immediate arrest of the attacker and be brought to justice through a transparent probe. An urgent review of school safety protocols across Andhra Pradesh, and complete accountability from Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and TDP National Working President Nara Lokesh,” Reddy added.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister expressed shock over the incident and spoke to officials to enquire about her condition and the treatment being provided. Personally monitoring her recovery, CM Naidu directed the medical team to accord her the highest priority and provide the best possible care.

“I have ordered the police to hunt down the monster responsible and deliver the harshest legal punishment swiftly,” he added.

Later, CM Naidu spoke to the student’s mother over the phone and offered her words of comfort and reassurance. He urged her to remain courageous and assured her that the accused would be punished severely, according to the Chief Minister’s Office.

The Chief Minister assured the family that the government would extend complete support and that every possible effort would be made to save the student’s life.

He also enquired about the health condition of another student who was also injured in the attack.

Nara Lokesh also condemned the incident.

Meanwhile, police have launched an extensive investigation into the incident and are yet to determine whether the accused man was known to the girl before the attack. Investigators are examining multiple aspects of the case as efforts continue to identify and apprehend the attacker.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) conducted raids at two locations in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, which led to the seizure of unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 1.95 crore and the freezing of bank balances worth more than Rs 40 lakh, officials said on Saturday.

The search operations were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on October 26 at two locations in Nagpur linked to Shashank Govind Prasad Pandey, proprietor of M/s Prayag Developers & Builders, an ED statement said.

“The searches led to the seizure of voluminous incriminating documents/records, digital devices, as well as unaccounted cash amounting to a total of Rs 1.95 crore and freezing of bank balances worth more than Rs 40 lakh. The search operations also resulted in the identification of several immovable properties, collectively valued at crores of rupees, suspected to have been acquired from the Proceeds of Crime,” the officials added.

According to officials, the ED investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered at Ajni Police Station in Nagpur City, and Ranapratapnagar Police Station in Nagpur, for offences under Sections 418 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

“Investigation has revealed that Shashank Govindprasad Pandey is engaged in a series of fraudulent activities, causing wrongful loss to several innocent persons,” officials said.

They mentioned that in one instance, Pandey entered into a development agreement in respect of land owned by a senior citizen widow, under which he was obligated to pay Rs 1.75 crore and allot 14 residential flats to the complainant.

“Although the flats had been earmarked in her favour through a Declaration-cum-Correction Deed, the accused fraudulently cancelled the said deed without her knowledge or consent and subsequently sold the earmarked flats to third parties,” the officials said.

They mentioned that the sale proceeds, amounting to Rs 8.93 crore, were misappropriated and siphoned off for his personal gain. Additionally, an amount of Rs 45 lakh payable under the development agreement was withheld, resulting in an aggregate wrongful loss of Rs 9.4 crore to the complainant.

In another case relating to the project Divya Prayag Apartment, the ED officials said that the investigation revealed that 22 flats had been mortgaged to Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL) against a project loan of Rs 22 crores, out of which Rs 11 crore was disbursed.

“Pandey sold the mortgaged flats without obtaining the requisite No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the lender or disclosing the subsisting mortgage to the purchasers. He also allegedly submitted a false affidavit to the bank in connection with a home loan, concealing the existing mortgage,” they said.

Subsequently, according to the ED, outstanding dues amounting to Rs 12.84 crore were reported, and proceedings under the SARFAESI Act were initiated.

“The concealment and misrepresentation are suspected to have resulted in wrongful loss to the flat purchasers and corresponding wrongful gain to the accused,” officials said.

An investigation is underway, and further details are awaited.