Delhi: Impersonating army officer, man dupes advocate’s family of several lakhs

NEW DELHI: A man impersonating a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army has been arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly defrauding a practicing advocate and her family of several lakhs.

The complaint was lodged at Gulabi Bagh Police Station, identifying the accused as Sumit Singh (28), a resident of Pratap Garden, Uttam Nagar.

Police said Singh forged Indian Army documents, wore military uniforms, and used fake insignia to deceive victims. He introduced himself to the 30-year-old advocate, who practices at Tis Hazari Courts, on July 24, 2024, claiming he could secure a government legal post for her. Gaining her trust, he collected personal documents and Rs 2,680 as a form fee via Paytm, later sending a fraudulent joining letter via WhatsApp.

He extended the scam to the advocate’s brother, Milan Kohli, promising a government job as a head clerk in the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA). Under various pretexts, he extracted over Rs 1.8 lakh from the family for uniform and mess fees.

Singh further manipulated the woman into purchasing him a Samsung Galaxy Fold 6, claiming his phone was destroyed in a bomb blast. He then faked his father’s death, demanding Rs 79,000 in gold and silver jewellery for last rites. Later, he duped the advocate’s father of Rs 3.13 lakh by promising a business tender.

When Singh pressured the advocate to marry him and sought Rs 5 lakh as a “donation” for her brother’s job, she grew suspicious and alerted police.

A probe led by Inspector Jagdish Kumar tracked Singh to a rented flat in Bindapur. Police seized forged Army documents, uniforms, rubber stamps, appointment letters, and a Royal Enfield.