New Delhi: Seven men posing as officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attempted to extort 5 crore rupees from a resident at a luxury farm stay in South West Delhi’s Chhattarpur area on October 21.
The police were alerted about the incident through a PCR call to the local Police Station. The Delhi Police have since registered a case against the group after the ED intervened to prevent the fraud.
According to the police reports, the incident, which unfolded on the night of October 21, took place at the Ashoka Avenue premises in Chhattarpur’s DLF Farms.
The imposters entered the victim’s residence under the guise of executing a raid and accused him of suspicious financial activities.
They questioned him about recent cash withdrawals from his bank account and displayed a few cheques linked to his old account. The group allegedly threatened to arrest the resident if he did not pay the demanded sum.
In an attempt to buy time, the victim informed the fake officials that he would arrange the money from his bank account the next day. The imposters reportedly stayed at the farm stay overnight, keeping a close watch on the resident.
The situation escalated the following morning when the imposters escorted the victim to the Hauz Khas branch of Kotak Mahindra Bank to withdraw the extortion money.
In a discreet move, the victim managed to alert his lawyer about the situation, which proved pivotal in thwarting
the crime.
Upon learning of the unfolding situation, an ED team was dispatched to the bank and simultaneously alerted local law enforcement. Senior police officers and ED personnel quickly arrived at the location to intercept the imposters.
When the victim’s lawyer confronted the suspects at the bank, requesting to see their official identification cards, the imposters became visibly nervous.
The impersonators abandoned their plan and fled the bank, leaving their vehicles behind before the bank manager could secure the entrance. Authorities have recorded the victim’s statement and impounded the abandoned vehicles.
This impersonation of ED officials has raised significant security concerns, prompting Delhi Police to investigate how the imposters obtained sensitive banking information. Initial suspicions indicate prior access to the victim’s details, and police are exploring potential links to internal sources.