Kannur (Kerala) [India], April 18 (ANI): In connection with the death of a dental college student at Ancharakandi, the Kannur City Cyber Crime Police have arrested a key accused running the loan app "Instant Funds" from Uttar Pradesh's Noida.

The arrested include Rishikesh Tiwari (32) from Ghaziabad, Prashant Kheval (28) from Uttar Pradesh, and Prakash Jai (54) from Faridabad, Haryana.

Also Read | When Is Akshaya Tritiya 2026? Check Date, Puja Timings, Significance and Rituals.

The arrests were made under the direction of Kannur City Police Commissioner Nidhinraj P. IPS, with a team led by SI Mithun SV, along with CPOs Sunil K and Dijin Raj PK.

The action followed a complaint by the student's teacher, whose phone number was listed as a reference in the loan app.

Also Read | Shillong Teer Result Today, April 18, 2026: Check Winning Numbers, Live Result Chart for Shillong Morning, Night, Khanapara, Juwai and Jowai Ladrymbai.

After the student failed to repay the loan, the accused allegedly made repeated threatening calls and messages, harassing the teacher continuously. Even after blocking numbers, the harassment continued from multiple other numbers.

Through investigation, police traced an active number to Noida and identified the operation. Despite challenges in locating the accused in a large city, the team successfully identified their office, which functioned like an IT setup with around 40 employees handling loan promotions, disbursement, and recovery.

With the assistance of Noida Police, a raid revealed that the accused used SIM boxes instead of phones, capable of operating up to 30 SIM cards simultaneously for mass calling. The police seized the SIM boxes and multiple SIM cards from the premises.

The accused have been booked under relevant law at Chakkarakkal Police Station, invoking provisions of the Kerala Money Lenders Act, Kerala Prohibition of Charging Exorbitant Interest Act (2012), and Section 308 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Further investigation is underway. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)