In Ayodhya, police have apprehended a criminal impersonating a Special Task Force (STF) officer who allegedly defrauded individuals of millions of rupees. The perpetrator, identified as 52-year-old Ajay Kumar Singh, presented himself with a counterfeit STF ID to deceive victims, claiming he could help them recover money related to property transfers. His fraudulent activities reportedly took place between December 26 and December 29, 2025, during which he collected a total of 400,000 rupees under pretenses.

Ajay Kumar Singh, originally from Sultanpur and residing in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, was arrested on February 19 near the Ranopali police outpost following a complaint registered by one of his victims. The complaint detailed how Singh exploited his false identity to instill trust in his victims, luring them into believing that he could facilitate recovery of their invested money in land transactions. The police acted on this information promptly, leading to his arrest after careful surveillance.

Police investigations have been launched to uncover the extent of Singh's fraudulent activities and determine if there are additional victims. This arrest underscores the importance of awareness regarding identity fraud and the precautionary measures individuals must take, especially when dealing with financial transactions and services related to real estate. Authorities are stressing the need for community vigilance against scams of this nature, especially as such incidents can tarnish the credibility of legitimate law enforcement agencies.