Lucknow: In a landmark decision, a Lucknow court has sentenced a man to seven years in prison in Uttar Pradesh’s first conviction related to a “digital arrest” cyber fraud. The verdict came just 438 days after the FIR was registered, marking one of the fastest cybercrime trials in the state.
The accused, Devashish Rai, posed as a CBI officer and digitally intimidated a woman doctor, Dr. Soumya Gupta, over a 10 day period. Exploiting fear of arrest, he coerced her into transferring ₹85 lakh to various bank accounts.
The fraud involved forged identification documents, fake firms, and misuse of mobile numbers and SIM cards obtained through false Aadhaar credentials.
The crime was reported on 1 May 2024 at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Lucknow. Within four days, Rai was arrested from Gomti Nagar Extension. Police filed the chargesheet on 2 August 2024, within 83 days, bolstered by strong digital evidence. The trial concluded on 16 July 2025 with Rai convicted and sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment.
The court observed that the fraud was a deliberate and organized attempt to exploit the fear of government agencies. It stressed that severe and swift punishment is essential in such cases to deter future digital crimes.
