16 Women RescuedJhansi: Police have busted a fake call centre here that was operating from a rented space for over a year, targeting middle-aged men for marriage by showing them AI-generated images and calling them through young women who were employed for this purpose. A female manager has been caught, while two owners, including a woman, are absconding. Police have also rescued 16 young women who were forcibly employed to engage in calling and luring the clients.Giving details here on Thursday, ASP Areeba Nomaan said that the gang was operating in a major way for the past one year from the top floor of a rented accommodation in Saryu Vihar Colony falling under Sipri Bazar police station. The call centre was named Shagun Matrimonial.It was being run by one Satish and Neetu Prajapati, who belong to Shivaji Nagar and are currently absconding. Police have arrested 35-year-old manager Hina Kaushar of Nagra area, who was managing the entire operation, and her name also reflected on the rent deed agreement.Explaining the modus operandi, ASP Nomaan said that the accused used to track middle-aged divorcees or bachelors interested in marriage through advertisements or marriage portals on a pan-India basis. They contacted them and lured them by showing AI-generated images or images from the internet as prospective brides. Later on, interested clients were contacted by young women employed by the call centre. They would act as brides and convince them for marriage.The clients were asked to deposit registration charges amounting to anything from Rs 5,00 to 30,000 and, at times, Rs 1 lakh. Investigations revealed that the team had duped over 610 men across the country for over Rs 30-40 lakh. Based on regular complaints received by the cyber cell, the calling numbers pointed to Jhansi, after which police got active. A raid was conducted on Wednesday night, and the manager was arrested.Nomaan further said that 16 women aged between 17 and 20 years were also rescued. “They were all from underprivileged families from Jhansi and nearby areas who were forcibly employed as cyber slaves on very low wages of Rs 5,000 per month. They were either threatened or their original documents were taken. They have been sent to their families after being counselled.”A case has been lodged against all three accused under Section 318(4) (cheating), 112 (petty organised crime) BNS and Section 66D of the IT Act. Police have recovered 23 keypad phones, 5 smartphones, 7 computers, QR scanning codes along with a number of registers maintaining the client details. Police have also freezed 9 bank accounts while blocking Rs 50,000.
