Nine arrested for oxygen cylinder fraud during Delhi’s fourth Covid wave

DCP (cyber cell) KPS Malhotra said the nine arrested include two men who allegedly ran the gang’s operation and seven others who had allegedly shared their bank account details to collect the money deposited by the victims

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Saturday said they have arrested nine people, from West Bengal and Bihar, for allegedly cheating several Delhi residents to the tune of over ₹1 crore after promising to deliver oxygen cylinders when the city was battling the fourth wave of Covid-19 infections.

The suspects were arrested by the cyber cell from West Bengal and Bihar. (Picture for representation only)

Deputy commissioner of police (cyber cell) KPS Malhotra said the nine arrested include two men who allegedly ran the gang’s operation and seven others who had allegedly shared their bank account details to collect the money deposited by the victims. Police said the gang also hired telecallers to make their racket seem genuine to potential victims.

Police had registered the case after a city resident, Vinod Kumar, informed police that he had deposited ₹25,000 to the gang’s account to procure an oxygen cylinder for his wife who had contracted Covid-19.

DCP Malhotra said that the gang switched off their contact number after Kumar paid the money. “He had filed a complaint. Unfortunately, his wife also passed away because of the infection. We had registered a case and started tracking the money trail,” he said.

Earlier this year, the national Capital endured a punishing fourth wave of Covid-19 infections between April and May that left health infrastructure overrun, overwhelmed medical workers, and led to crematoriums running out of space. Over 760,000 people were infected in that period, and over 13,000 died of the infection between April and May alone.

When the city was reporting over 20,000 cases daily and hospital beds were full, citizens had started posting SOS messages for oxygen cylinders.

Delhi police said that many fraudsters from across the country took advantage of the crisis and circulated their phone numbers and bank account details while promising to deliver oxygen cylinders.

DCP Malhotra said that the two alleged leaders of the gang -- PhD student Pawan alias Pravin Kumar (26), and an MCA degree holder Kamal Kant Sinha (31), both residents of Bihar’s Nalanda -- allegedly took control of the bank accounts of different people after paying them a small fee.

Simultaneously, police said, they allegedly shared the bank account details on social media and asked people to deposit money for home delivery of oxygen cylinders.

Police suspect the two men are involved in other types of cyber fraud too and are probing the identity of their gang members.