Man Posing As Politician's Spouse Dupes Delhi Businessman Of Rs 1.69 Lakh, Arrested

A 44-year-old habitual cheat, who allegedly duped a businessman of over Rs 1.65 lakh by posing as the spouse of a prominent politician, has been arrested, an official said on Monday.

Bhalinder Pal Singh allegedly duped a Dwarka-based businessman of Rs 1.69 lakh, claiming that money was urgently required to pay a student's fee, which would be reimbursed through the office, he said.

Police said Singh, who used the Ashoka emblem as his messaging app profile picture to lend credibility to his claims, had frequently changed his identity and had allegedly posed as a mayor, personal assistant to an MLA and a relative of MPs in earlier cheating cases registered in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.

"Singh had created a messaging account using a SIM card registered with a fake identity and used the Ashoka emblem as the profile picture. He used the account to create an impression of official authority while communicating with potential victims," the police officer said.

The officer said the case was registered after the complainant, a businessman in Dwarka Sector 6, approached police on September 11, saying he received a call from a person claiming to be the spouse of a prominent leader.

The caller told him that a student's fee had to be paid urgently as the person responsible for making the payment was on leave and assured him the money would be reimbursed through the office.

"Believing the representation, the businessman transferred a total of Rs 1.69 lakh to different bank accounts provided by the caller. He also booked a flight ticket from Delhi to Lucknow," the officer said.

After the complaint, police registered an FIR at Dwarka South Police Station on September 13. A team was formed to trace the accused. During the probe, police obtained the IP address used when the messaging app account was created and, with the help of the telecom service provider, identified the internet connection being used by the accused.

Police then traced him to Sector 43 in Gurugram after verifying around 120 houses. He was allegedly living there under the identity of Jasraj Sehgal. Two Aadhaar cards bearing the same number were also allegedly recovered from his possession.

The accused used an SUV to project himself as an influential person. Police said he rented the vehicle using a fake driving licence and Aadhaar card bearing another person's name.

"Singh has been previously involved in 25 cases relating to cheating, impersonation, extortion and offences under the Prison Act. He has also been declared a proclaimed offender in four cases, while non-bailable warrants have been issued against him in four other cheating cases registered in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana," the officer said, adding that further investigation into the matter is underway.

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