Man posing as ‘special secretary’ dupes four of Rs 48 lakh

Lucknow: A Lucknow-based man posing as a special secretary in the Uttar Pradesh govt allegedly duped four people, including a gym operator, of Rs 48.60 lakh by promising to construct a commercial hall on a prime plot in Barabanki. The case was registered at Kotwali police station following the orders of the Chief Judicial Magistrate.According to the complaint filed by Utkarsh Verma, a resident of Awas Vikas Colony, he met the accused, Surya Prakash Saini, at a wedding around 2 years ago. Saini introduced himself as a senior PCS officer posted as special secretary in the Lucknow Secretariat. He arrived in a car bearing the inscription "Uttar Pradesh Shasan" along with a govt emblem, which helped him gain the complainant's trust.
Verma alleged that Saini claimed to own a 5,000 sq ft plot on Vikas Bhawan Road in Barabanki and offered to construct a 4,500 sq ft commercial hall on it. To finalise the deal, Saini reportedly took the victims — Vikas Singh, Kirti Chaudhary and Sindhu Singh — to the Secretariat in Lucknow, where the agreement was discussed in the canteen.The accused allegedly took Rs 20 lakh through online transfer and Rs 28.60 lakh in cash, assuring that the registry would be executed jointly in the names of the 3 investors. However, neither construction work began nor was the property registered. When the victims began pressing for progress, Saini allegedly stopped answering calls and cited official meetings as excuses.Police records reveal that Saini has a history of similar fraud. In March 2025, his name surfaced in a cheating case in Lucknow, where he allegedly collected Rs 3.80 lakh from several individuals on the pretext of arranging govt housing. A complaint was lodged at Gautampalli police station, and he was arrested in that case.Following the fresh FIR in Barabanki, police are also probing how the accused managed to use a vehicle marked with "Uttar Pradesh Shasan" and gain access to the Secretariat premises."We are examining whether forged symbols were used or if he had internal assistance," said superintendent of police Arpit Vijayvargiya.