₹1.3 crore duped from retired IAF officer retrieved

Seven people including two officials of a private bank posted in Rohini Sector-7 and Sector-15 branches, an electric rickshaw driver and a maid have been arrested so far

Gurugram: After putting on hold transactions in six current accounts across four states, the Gurugram Police recovered ₹1.3 crore that had allegedly been cheated from a retired Indian Air Force (IAF) official settled in Gurugram and got the entire amount credited into his account, police said on Thursday.

The Gurugram Police recovered ₹1.3 crore that had allegedly been cheated from a retired Indian Air Force (IAF) official settled in Gurugram and got the entire amount credited back into his account. (Representational Photo)

According to the police, seven people including two officials of a private bank posted in Rohini Sector-7 and Sector-15 branches, an electric rickshaw driver and a maid have been arrested so far. The driver and the maid were getting commissions for opening current accounts and then supplying the access to the alleged fraudsters.

Investigators said the victim Jai Prakash Taank, 82, who is a retired squadron leader, lives in DLF Phase-II in the city. The suspects had cheated Taank on the pretext of investment in the stock market. After realising that he had been cheated, Taank got an FIR registered under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code at the Cybercrime police station (east) on February 3.

Priyanshu Dewan, assistant commissioner of police (cybercrime), said the amount was transferred into three accounts in branches of two private banks in Rajouri Garden, Anand Vihar and Karol Bagh.

“Taank’s money was also transferred into accounts in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh, Surat in Gujarat and Nashik in Maharashtra. The amount in these accounts was also put on hold with help of the bank authorities. The money lying in these accounts which belonged to the victim was then reversed into his bank account,” Dewan said.

Investigators said that besides bankers Deepak Kumar and Dharmendra Kumar, e-rickshaw driver Vikash Kumar, his wife Pinki of Sultanpuri, an account holder Prakash of Bawana, Suraj Kumar and the maid Puja were among those arrested as they had connived in getting current accounts opened fraudulently. They said at least 10 more gang members were yet to be arrested.