Job Promise, Loan Trap: Man Arrested in Pratapgarh Fraud
A woman was promised a bank job but ended up with a fraudulent loan. Pratapgarh police have arrested one suspect and recovered stolen goods.
In a shocking case of deceit, the Pratapgarh police have apprehended a man who allegedly lured a woman with the promise of a bank job, only to use her personal documents to secure fraudulent loans for his own benefit. The accused, identified as Sanjay Kumar Gautam, was arrested following a targeted operation by the Asapur Devsara police.
The Bait: A Promised Bank Job
The ordeal began on June 23, 2026, when the victim, a resident of Nevada village in the Patti police station area, met Sanjay Kumar Gautam at a Bank of Baroda branch in Patti. Gautam allegedly convinced the woman that he could secure a position for her within the bank.
To facilitate this employment, Gautam demanded a payment of 50,000 rupees. Trusting the promise of a stable career, the victim paid the requested amount the following day.
The Trap: Document Theft and Loan Fraud
The scam escalated when Gautam took the woman to Abhay Enterprises in Ramganj Bazar to meet another individual named Manish Singh. Under the guise of completing the employment process, the suspects collected several sensitive documents from the victim, including:
- Aadhaar card
- PAN card
- Bank passbook
- Signed blank documents
However, the victim soon discovered a disturbing reality. Instead of a job offer, her documents had been used to fraudulently obtain a loan of 60,000 rupees from Bajaj Finance. The loan was used to purchase high-end appliances—an air conditioner, an inverter, and a battery—all registered in the victim's name without her knowledge or consent.
Police Action and Recovery
Following a formal complaint, the Asapur Devsara police registered a case against two named suspects. Acting on the directives of Superintendent of Police Deepak Bhukar, the police monitored leads and acted on a tip-off.
The police successfully intercepted and arrested Sanjay Kumar Gautam near the Nagar Chhauna Road on the Varanasi-Lucknow highway. During the arrest, authorities recovered the items purchased using the fraudulent loan: a Voltas AC, an inverter, and a battery.
Legal Proceedings
With the recovery of the stolen goods, the police have added Section 317(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) to the ongoing case. While Gautam is in custody, the police are continuing their investigation to determine the role of the second suspect, Manish Singh, and bring him to justice.