Online scam accused, policemen stop for lunch at hotel, visit friend's home, says Noida police

Anubhav Mittal, the main accused in a Rs 3,700-crore online scam, and policemen escorting him from Faridabad to Lucknow stopped at his friend's home here, triggering a row. Later, the entire group also had a lunch at a restaurant located in the housing complex.

The Noida police submitted a report to their counterparts in Lucknow about the incident. The six-member escort team included two policewomen.

"Mittal was brought to Faridabad in Haryana in connection with a case. On their way back to Lucknow, Mittal and the policemen stopped at a flat at Cleo County Society in Sector 121 of Noida for lunch," a Noida police spokesperson said. "At the society, some locals raised a concern over Mittal being brought there, after which the local police were alerted and the accused and the police team from Lucknow were sent back," he said.

"The Gautam Buddh Nagar police have no role in the episode," the spokesperson said. Gautam Buddh Nagar SSP Vaibhav Krishna apprised his Lucknow counterpart about it, the spokesperson said.

The 29-year-old Mittal had launched a social media portal Socialtrade.biz, allegedly duping around seven lakh people of Rs 3,700 crore. The victims were allegedly promised handsome returns by clicking on website links, the officer added.

The UP Police had busted the Internet scam in February 2017 and had arrested Anubhav along with two others.

(With inputs from agencies.)