- By Akansha Pandey
- Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:32 AM (IST)
- Source:Jagran News Network
Sukanta Subrata Banerjee, accused of defrauding three individuals, including a contractor, of crores of rupees by falsely claiming connections to the American space agency NASA, has been arrested by the Gorakhpur police.
The Ramgarhtal police station team arrested Banerjee in Kolkata. He was brought to Gorakhpur on Monday, where he was interrogated and subsequently presented in court, which ordered him to be sent to jail. The police are now searching for his accomplices.
The Modus Operandi
Banerjee, a resident of Baranagar, Kolkata, allegedly posed as a coordinator for an international company associated with NASA and atomic energy. He lured investors with the promise of extraordinary returns, claiming they could earn a profit of 100 rupees on every one rupee invested over a two-year period.
He is accused of extorting crores of rupees from people across the country by presenting fake documents purportedly from NASA, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), and the Reserve Bank. During the investigation, it emerged that Banerjee defrauded investors by creating fake companies and NGOs in various parts of the country.
The Contractor's Complaint
Madan Mohan Shukla, a contractor with the irrigation department and a resident of the Taramandal area, filed a complaint with the Ramgarhtal police.
The Pitch: Shukla stated that in March 2018, he was introduced to Sukanta Banerjee and Amit Kumar Nandi of Lucknow by Suresh Ramani of Kanpur. Banerjee identified himself as the chief coordinator of a scientific project affiliated with NASA, proposing an investment in the purchase and sale of rare radioactive metals and space equipment. He claimed the dividends were linked to an international scientific contract with NASA.
The Fraud: To gain trust, Banerjee showed the contractor alleged certificates and letterheads from NASA, the PMO, the Reserve Bank, and Axis Bank. The contractor subsequently invested 8,000,000 rupees. The amount was reportedly given to Sukanta Banerjee, Chandicharan Adhikari, and Shalini Naskar.
The Aftermath: When Shukla inquired about the dividends a few months later, Banerjee began making excuses and eventually stopped answering his phone. When pressed for his money, Banerjee allegedly threatened him, saying, "Do whatever you want, I will not give you anything." The contractor also filed a complaint at the CBI headquarters.
Investigation And Arrest
Banerjee’s alleged fraud network extends to Lucknow, Kanpur, and Kolkata.
Case Files: Three cases are registered against him in Gorakhpur and five in Deoria. He also faces charges of fraud, forgery, and criminal conspiracy in Lucknow, Kanpur, and Kolkata.
Reward: A reward of 10,000 rupees was previously declared for Banerjee in a 2019 fraud case registered at the Mahanagar police station in Lucknow.
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Capture: A team from the Ramgarhtal police had been searching for him. According to sources, Banerjee had sold his house in Lucknow and gone into hiding in Kolkata, from where he allegedly maintained contact with investors online.
SP City Abhinav Tyagi stated that the search for Banerjee's accomplices is ongoing. He assured that they will be arrested soon and the entire network will be exposed.
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