A shocking case of cyber fraud and financial irregularities has emerged from Chakeri police station area in Kanpur, raising serious questions over the banking system and GST network. A young man was allegedly threatened with death, forced to open a bank account, and later crores of rupees in illegal transactions were routed through the same account. The victim filed an FIR on Friday at Chakeri police station, demanding strict action against Nitin, Shiva, Akash, Mahfooz Alam alias Pappu Chhuri, and Mehtab.
Nikhil Kumar, a resident of Juhi Parmapurwa who works in a printing press, became the victim of this entire racket. Shiva, known to him, allegedly introduced him to Nitin and Akash. He was lured into the trap with the promise of higher earnings.
Forced account opening and mobile number change
In October 2025, the accused allegedly took Nikhil to Axis Bank’s Ramadevi branch and forcibly opened a bank account in the name of a firm. The situation worsened further after that. It is alleged that his Aadhaar card was taken into custody and the mobile number linked to the bank account was changed, leaving him unaware of any transactions and giving full control of the account to the accused.
Crores routed through fake GST billing
According to the victim, his account was used for transactions worth crores of rupees through fake GST invoices. Due to the change in mobile number, he had no knowledge of any financial activity taking place in the account.
Death threats after opposition
When Nikhil realised the fraud and protested, the accused allegedly threatened to kill him and his family. Living under fear, the victim remained silent for a long time.
The FIR also names Mahfooz alias Pappu Chhuri and Mehtab, who are said to be part of an organised gang. They are accused of creating fake companies and causing massive loss to government revenue.
₹1,600 crore suspicious transactions under probe
Police investigation earlier revealed suspicious transactions worth ₹1,600 crore through 68 accounts across 12 banks, linked to an incident on 16 February in Shyamnagar area of Chakeri following a robbery case. The name of businessman Mahfooz Alam alias Pappu Chhuri had also surfaced, after which he went absconding.
Multiple agencies including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax Department, GST Department and RBI have been involved in the investigation. Police have so far arrested six accused in the case. Investigating agencies suspect the funds may have been used for terror financing or anti-national activities, as some suspects were traced to locations in Delhi and Kashmir. Despite more than three months passing, the main accused remains absconding.
Station House Officer Ajay Prakash Mishra said that continuous raids are being conducted to arrest the accused, and action will be taken soon after their arrest.
