Lucknow: A 21-year-old man has alleged he was cheated of nearly ₹10 lakh after responding to an Instagram advertisement offering a startup loan of up to ₹4 crore. Police said two men have been taken into custody in connection with charges of extortion and criminal intimidation.An FIR registered at Vibhuti Khand police station states the complainant was contacted in July 2026 by representatives of Udyam Setu Consultant Service. The firm allegedly promised to arrange a high-value loan with minimal documentation and encouraged him to proceed despite him having only Aadhaar, PAN and educational certificates.According to the complaint, the youth transferred about ₹10 lakh to the consultancy in multiple payments over the following months, but no loan was sanctioned. When he stopped further payments, the accused allegedly began calling him over video and demanded an additional ₹2.5 lakh.The complainant said the callers claimed links to a criminal gang and threatened to kill him and his family if he did not pay. He also alleged they threatened to implicate him in a false rape case.After receiving renewed threats, the man informed his family and agreed to meet the accused at Kisan Bazaar on Oct 11. Police said two men, identified as Sadik Hasnain and Shoaib Zafar, again demanded money, after which the complainant and his relatives restrained them and called the emergency helpline. Police arrived and detained both men.
