Notorious Cyber Criminal Pappu Sahni Dies After Police Encounter in Muzaffarpur

Muzaffarpur, Bihar: Chaos erupted near Sai Mandir, Mithanpura police station area, on Tuesday morning around 11:30 AM, when notorious cyber criminal Pappu Sahni opened fire on a police team. ASI Vikas Kumar Singh of Bela police station was shot in the abdomen. In the retaliatory firing, Pappu Sahni was injured and later died during treatment at SKMCH Hospital.

Family Alleges Foul Play

Pappu Sahni, son of former RJD block president Uma Shankar Sahni, had recently been out on bail after a year in custody. His father claimed that his son was deliberately killed, questioning the police explanation that Pappu died due to blood loss. The family stated that Pappu was running a small tea and mess shop in Balughat and could have been arrested at home instead of the encounter.

Building a Cyber Fraud Network

Pappu Sahni was a key figure in one of North Bihar’s largest cyber fraud gangs, introduced into the business by his elder brother Pankaj Sahni. In 2012–13, Pankaj established the “Pankaj Management Company”, initially conducting small-scale ATM frauds. By 2015, it had evolved into a well-organized criminal syndicate, employing over 200 youths with monthly salaries.

Pappu received ATM fraud training in 2015 and was jailed twice in Gopalganj for duplicating ATM cards, and once from Mithanpura police station. Initially, he lived in Mathia village with his brother for training. Later, he shifted to a luxurious, illegally constructed house in Sikandarpur, worth approximately ₹40 lakh, after authorities began noticing suspicious activities.

Criminal Record and Assets

Pappu Sahni had multiple FIRs registered against him under Brahmpura, Kanti, Kaji Mohammadpur, Sadar, Nagar, Panapur, and Laheriasarai police stations for cyber fraud, arms violations, theft, and cheating. In July 2020, police recovered carbines, cartridges, laptops, and 23 ATM cards from a raid based on his tip-off, revealing that the gang was operating as an armed cyber fraud network. His name also surfaced in a 2018 truck robbery case, and he was arrested with weapons and ATM cards in Laheriasarai, Darbhanga.

Authorities claim that Pappu and his brother amassed immense wealth through cyber fraud, including luxurious houses, expensive vehicles, and other assets. Proposals for confiscating their properties were prepared but await final approval.