Conmen dupe Delhi man of ₹2crore over Rajya Sabha seat, forge President’s sign

A 63-year-old man was cheated of ₹2.25 crore by two men promising a Rajya Sabha seat. One suspect arrested, other in custody for forging President's signature.

A 63-year-old man was allegedly cheated of ₹2.25 crore by two men under the pretext of getting a seat in the Rajya Sabha, police said on Monday, adding that one of the suspects has been arrested, while the other one is in police custody.

Police did not share the name of the complainant, but said that he is a social worker. (Representational image)

According to officers probing the case, the conmen also forged the President of India’s signature to gain the complainant’s trust.

Police did not share the name of the complainant, but said that he is a social worker.

Officers said that the incident came to light on April 25, when the 63-year-old physically restrained one of the alleged conmen at a banquet hall in Adhchini, before informing police and filing a complaint against the two suspects at the Kishangarh police station.

Giving details of the case, deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Rohit Meena said the complainant told investigators that last year, he met a man named Nanak Dass at a house in Vithal Bhai Patel House — a neighbourhood on Rafi Marg home to several politicians.

Dass, the chief priest of a temple in Kishangarh, in August 2023 introduced the complainant to Naveen Kumar, who posed as a protocol officer to the President of India, said police.

“The complainant and the suspects met several times at Vithal Bhai Patel House over the following months. We don’t know how they got access to these government houses. The meetings also took place in Defence Colony and Kishangarh. The suspects led the businessman to believe that his name was proposed for a member of the Rajya Sabha,” a senior officer associated with the case said.

“To gain his trust, the suspects gave him a birthday letter. The letter had the President’s name and her forged letterhead,” the officer said, on condition of anonymity.

Police said that the suspects then demanded ₹5 crore from the complainant to get the Rajya Sabha seat. “The complainant paid ₹1.25 crore to Kumar and ₹1 crore to Dass,” the officer said.

After getting the money, the suspects broke off contact. Realising he had been duped, the complainant called the suspects to the Adhchini banquet hall under pretext of paying them the rest of the money, and managed to restrain Kumar before calling police, officers said.

“During further investigation, Dass was also caught from Delhi. Both men are being interrogated,” the officer quoted above said, adding that Dass is in custody but is yet to be arrested.