Ludhiana: NRI, father booked for cheating Congress leader of ₹7 lakh

The FIR was registered on the complaint of Manveer Singh Dhaliwal of Kasabad village in Ludhiana, who serves as co-ordinator of Punjab Youth Congress

Police have booked a Canada-based NRI and his father for allegedly duping a Congress leader of ₹7 lakh on the pretext of securing a transportation tender of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in Jalalabad.

The complainant alleged that the father-son duo took ₹15 lakh from him for arranging the tender but failed to fulfil their promise. (HT File)

The accused were identified as Anmol Ratan Singh, currently residing in Canada, and his father Balkarn Singh Bhatti, a resident of Phase 7, Mohali.

The FIR was registered on the complaint of Manveer Singh Dhaliwal of Kasabad village in Ludhiana, who serves as co-ordinator of Punjab Youth Congress.

According to the complainant, he had known Anmol for nearly a decade. Manveer alleged that in 2018, when he was planning to start a business after completing college, Anmol approached him claiming that one of his close relatives had strong links with senior officials and could help secure an FCI transportation tender in Jalalabad.

The complainant alleged that the father-son duo took ₹15 lakh from him for arranging the tender but failed to fulfil their promise.

Manveer further alleged that Anmol later shifted to Canada and repeatedly avoided returning the money. “I kept asking them to return my money but received no response. I filed police complaints in 2023 and again in 2024, but the inquiries were closed. Later, I approached the bureau of investigation, which forwarded the matter to Ludhiana police for further probe,” he said.

The complainant added that during the inquiry, the accused returned ₹8 lakh, but ₹7 lakh still remains unpaid.

ASI Hardev Singh, the investigating officer, said an FIR had been registered against both accused under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.