Man held for cheating former Army officer

The Delhi Police has arrested a 38-year-old man for allegedly cheating a retired Army officer of Rs 23 lakh by promising to secure government jobs in the Income Tax Department for his daughter and other relatives, an official said on Tuesday.

 The accused, identified as Shibin Raj, a resident of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, was apprehended from a dormitory in Paharganj following a tip-off, he said. A search of the accused led to the recovery of a fake Income Tax Department identity card, two forged appointment letters issued in the names of the job aspirants, banking credentials of four different banks and two ATM cards.

 “The complainant, a retired Major from Kollam district in Kerala, alleged that he was introduced to Shibin Raj in June this year through an acquaintance serving in the armed forces,” a senior police officer said.

The accused allegedly claimed he had strong links with officials in the Income Tax Department and the Railways and could arrange central government jobs in Delhi and Kolkata, he said.

Police said the complainant first met the accused near Rajiv Chowk in early June, where he was assured that his daughter and his niece would be appointed as Tax Assistants in the Income Tax Department under the Ministry of Finance.

The accused allegedly demanded money in installments, claiming it was required for processing, interviews and medical examinations.

Between June and July, the complainant and his family members transferred a total of Rs 23 lakh to bank accounts allegedly controlled by the accused, the officer said.

Police said the victims were later called to Delhi and taken to Rajiv Chowk for what was projected as an interview and medical formalities. Soon after, the accused allegedly handed over appointment letters bearing the Government of India and Income Tax Department seals, which later turned out to be forged.

When the jobs did not materialise and repeated demands for refunds were ignored, the complainant approached the police and a case was registered under sections 318(4) (cheating), 319 (2) (cheating by personation), 336 (3) (forgery), 329 (criminal trespass), 340 (forging document or electronic record) and 3(5) (joint liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on December 11.

During the investigation, technical surveillance and verification of CCTV footage were carried out, leading police to track the accused to a dormitory in Paharganj, where he was arrested, officials said.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly revealed that he operated with an associate, Manish Pandey, who posed as an Income Tax Department official. Police said efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the co-accused.

Police also said Shibin Raj had been previously arrested by Kerala Police in a similar cheating case in 2022, in which he allegedly duped another victim of Rs 15 lakh by offering government jobs.

Further investigation is underway to identify other victims, examine the money trail and recover the cheated amount, police added.