The Delhi Police on Sunday morning arrested four persons — including a Sub-Inspector of the Kalyanpuri police station — for allegedly duping a Bihar-based cloth merchant of Rs 18 lakh in West Delhi’s Tilak Nagar area.
Claiming to help the cloth trader in getting the demonetised currency changed into new notes, the four accused called the cloth trader at a bank in Mayur Vihar on November 17. They asked him to wait for a day to get the cash amount in new currency denominations. Police said that they have recovered Rs 5 lakh cash from the possession of the accused who were apprehended from different parts of Delhi-NCR on Sunday morning.
According to the senior police officials of the West District, the accused have been identified as Sub-Inspector Sudhir Rathi, Ranvijay, Ankur and Rohit. Talking to The Pioneer, Vijay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) said that we have registered a case under Sections 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC at the Tilak Nagar police station against the accused. All the accused will be kept in the police remand for one day. Further probe is on.”
Sources said that Sudhir Rathi joined Delhi Police in 2008 and prior to joining the Delhi Police, he had served in the Indian Army. Police said that they are questioning all the accused as to where they spent Rs 13 lakh and to ascertain the role of two others — Payal and Shailendra.
According to the police, on November 7, a Bihar-based cloth merchant, Saifuddin came to Delhi to purchase clothes. Post the Demonetisation announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, Saifuddun who had Rs 18 lakh cash with him was supposed to make payments to the buyers. However, after the policy decision, he was unable to make payments.
Police said that Saifuddin discussed his plight with one Bhalswa Dairy-based relative, Amantullah Wasim who further advised him to get the money deposited in a bank. A friend of Amantullah, Shailendra came forward and suggested that he had a sister, identified as Payal, who worked in a bank in Mayur Vihar.
Police said on November 17, Shailendra, who knew one of the accused called Saifuddin to Mayur Vihar. Here the accused told the complainant, Saifuddin, that he will get the new currency notes amounting to Rs 18lakh the next day and on November 18, the accused asked Saifuddin to come to Connaught Place.
When Saifuddin went to Connaught Place, he found that the mobile phones of the four accused were switched off. He waited for a couple of days and finally on November 22, he approached the Tilak Nagar police station where he filed a complaint.
According to the DCP, the four accused were arrested on Sunday morning. Police meanwhile said that they are probing the role of Shaildendra and Payal. Further investigation is still on.