Delhi man accused of role in Pulwama attack by fake cops, loses ₹10 lakh after ‘digital arrest’

The incident occurred in August in central Delhi’s Karol Bagh, where the victim lives with his family.

A 32-year-old man was allegedly cheated of ₹10 lakh by unidentified persons posing as officers of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), who “digitally arrested” him after accusing him of involvement in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, Delhi Police said on Monday. The accused allegedly manipulated the victim, claiming his name had surfaced in terror-related financial transactions.

An FIR was registered on October 14, and police said an investigation is under way to trace the accused. (Arvind Yadav/ Hindustan Times)

The incident occurred in August in central Delhi’s Karol Bagh, where the victim lives with his family. An FIR was registered on October 14, and police said an investigation is under way to trace the accused.

According to the FIR, the complainant received multiple calls from four unknown numbers on August 13. “The callers falsely accused me of being involved in the Pulwama attack and claimed that ₹50 lakh had been credited to a bank account opened in my name in Kashmir. They said the account was linked to my ID and mobile number and warned me to maintain secrecy, saying influential people were involved,” the FIR states.

Police said the accused coerced the victim into a video call, during which they appeared in police uniforms with ATS insignia in the background. “They instructed me to switch on my camera, lock my room, and not inform any family member. They interrogated me, obtained my bank details, and connected me to a person claiming to be the ATS chief,” the FIR added.

A senior police officer said one of the accused, posing as the UP ATS chief, threatened the victim with arrest under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) if he failed to transfer funds to a supposedly RBI-approved account. “They even sent him a fake RBI letter,” the officer said. The victim transferred ₹8.9 lakh from one account and the rest via Paytm.

The accused later demanded another ₹4 lakh for his “bail”, but disconnected the call when he refused. Police said the victim filed a complaint through the cybercrime portal, which was later forwarded to the Karol Bagh police station for investigation.