Arrest in Sitapur
Sitapur police have detained a married duo accused of bilking roughly ₹27 lakh by pretending to be a Punjab National Bank manager and an Income Tax Department inspector. The suspects, Rohit Bajpai and his wife Annu Bajpai (also known as Chandra), hail from Kannauj.
How the Racket Operated
Investigators say the pair scouted the neighbourhood in May before moving into a rented house at Prem Nagar on 31 August. Rohit introduced himself as the manager of the PNB branch in Mishrikh, while Annu claimed to be an Income Tax officer, each flashing counterfeit identity cards to lend credibility.
Victims and the Money Trail
Their first mark, Ramnaresh Jaiswal, was duped out of ₹20 lakh with the promise of acquiring auctioned gold at a cut‑price. He was later persuaded to hand over another ₹2 lakh for a supposed exchange of damaged notes. Other victims included Premlata Bajpai, who lost ₹1 lakh, and laundry businessman Atul, who was swindled of ₹4 lakh.
Escape Route and Asset Seizure
After the scams, the couple fled on 14 September, hopping between cars and traversing Agra, Kota, Betul and Chennai to avoid capture. Police recovered ₹14 lakh in cash, jewellery worth approximately ₹6 lakh, four mobile phones and a cache of forged documents. Two of the phones alone were valued at about ₹50,000.
Investigation Insights
Superintendent of Police Ankur Agrawal revealed that, during interrogation, the pair confessed to orchestrating similar cons since 2005. Their pattern involved traveling across states, establishing trust under false pretences, and vanishing once the money was secured.
Reward for Leads
The police unit that cracked the case has been offered a reward of ₹25,000 for their diligent work.
