Ludhiana: Caretaker booked for siphoning off ₹4 lakh

The accused, identified as Inderjit Singh of Ferozepur district, had been hired through a caretaker agency by the family of a professor at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU)

A caretaker hired to look after an 82-year-old man has been booked on charges of siphoning off nearly ₹4 lakh from the elderly victim’s bank account after stealing his debit card and mobile SIM card. The Sarabha Nagar police have launched a search for the accused.

Police said the accused allegedly transferred around ₹3.9 lakh through multiple UPI transactions between July 16 and July 22. (HT File)

The accused, identified as Inderjit Singh of Ferozepur district, had been hired through a caretaker agency by the family of a professor at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU). The alleged fraud came to light after he stopped reporting for duty, prompting the family to check the elderly man’s belongings and bank records.

According to the police, Inderjit allegedly stole the victim’s debit card and removed the SIM card from his mobile phone on July 15. He is suspected to have inserted the SIM into his own phone to access banking services linked to the victim’s account.

Police said the accused allegedly transferred around ₹3.9 lakh through multiple UPI transactions between July 16 and July 22. The family discovered the unauthorised transactions after finding the debit and SIM cards missing and examining the victim’s bank account.

ASI Ajitpal Singh, in-charge of the Raghunath Enclave police post, said a case under Section 306 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered. Police are conducting raids to trace the accused, recover the stolen money and examine the bank accounts that received the funds to ascertain whether others were involved in the alleged fraud.