LUCKNOW, May 14 -- Alok Gupta reached the Uttar Pradesh Secretariat on March 27, 2024, dressed formally and holding what he believed was his official joining letter for a Review Officer (RO) post. Instead of being welcomed to his new role, he was turned away by security personnel who told him the letter was fake. That moment shattered months of trust and Rs 10 lakh of his savings. What Gupta thought was the start of his government career turned out to be an elaborate scam by a couple allegedly posing as well-connected secretariat insiders. Hazratganj SHO Vikram Singh confirmed that a case has been registered under relevant IPC sections. "Preliminary investigation also revealed that multiple cases are already lodged against the main accused, Vivek Mishra, in other districts," he said. According to the FIR registered at Hazratganj police station, Gupta, a resident of Monarch City, Para, was approached in 2021 by Vivek Kumar Mishra and his wife Seema Mishra outside the Secretariat. "The couple claimed to be government employees and showed photos of themselves attending events. They promised Gupta a direct-entry job as a Review Officer without an examination, for a payment of Rs 10 lakh," said Police. "Vivek said his wife had made arrangements, and that I could get the job through their contacts," Gupta said in the FIR. "He paid Rs 6.5 lakh online and the remaining Rs 3.5 lakh in cash over time," he informed. According to the FIR, after months of delay, he was finally handed a joining letter. "I walked into the Secretariat full of hope. But the moment the guards checked my letter, they told me it was fake. I was stunned," Gupta said. When Gupta tried to contact the couple after the incident, they stopped taking his calls....