Panchkula: Threatened with son’s ‘arrest’, elderly man duped of ₹5.5 lakh
Nov 08, 2024 01:05 PM IST
According to complainant Sehgal, the ordeal began on October 21, when he received a WhatsApp call from an individual identifying himself as ASI Inder Preet Singh from the Baheri police station
A 69-year-old resident of Sector 16 lost ₹5.5 lakh to a fraudster posing as a police officer, claiming the man’s son was involved in a murder investigation and had been detained.
₹5.5 lakh to multiple accounts. (iStock)” title=”The fraudsters continued to pressurise Anil Kumar Sehgal for more money, warning him that legal complications could escalate if he did not pay up. In total, he transferred ₹5.5 lakh to multiple accounts. (iStock)” />According to complainant Anil Kumar Sehgal, the ordeal began on October 21, when he received a WhatsApp call from an individual identifying himself as assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Inder Preet Singh from the Baheri police station. The caller falsely claimed that Sehgal’s son, Hitesh, had been implicated in a murder investigation and was in police custody. In exchange for releasing his son, the caller demanded a sum of ₹1.8 lakh, promising to keep the matter discreet.
Distressed and fearing for his son, who had left for Gurugram that morning, Sehgal complied and transferred ₹1.5 lakh to a Punjab National Bank account, followed by additional instalments to other accounts as demanded by the scammer. The fraudsters continued to pressurise Sehgal for more money, warning him that legal complications could escalate if he did not pay up. In total, Sehgal transferred ₹5.5 lakh to multiple accounts.
Sehgal became suspicious after speaking to his son, who informed him that he had reached Gurugram safely without any issues. Realising he had been scammed, Sehgal promptly filed a complaint through the cyber crime portal.
Panchkula police have registered an FIR under Sections 316(2), 318(4), and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita as investigation of the accounts involved is underway.
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