3 held for duping man of Rs 2.39 crore on pretext of providing CNG pump
The Delhi Police arrested three persons, including a former contractual employee of the Ministry of Petroleum, involved in a high-profile scam that defrauded people by promising CNG and petrol pump installations, officials said on Monday. The syndicate, active for over three years, swindled a complainant of Rs 2.39 crore.
The accused were identified as Amit Kumar Pandey (41), Amrendra Kumar (47) and Amar Singh (62). The police recovered two mobile phones, SIM cards and several forged documents during the arrest.
The case surfaced on March 27 when the complainant approached the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit. He reported that he had been deceived into believing that the accused could facilitate the installation of a CNG pump on his land.
According to the complainant, in 2021, while searching for information on petrol and CNG pump allotments, he was contacted by Amrendra Kumar and Pandey, who falsely presented themselves as agents of Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL). They promised minimal formalities and a quick installation process, convincing the complainant to hand over Rs 2.39 crore.
“The accused forged several documents, including fake IGL letters, NOCs, invoices and area-blocking fee certificates, to make their operation seem legitimate. By posing as IGL officials, they siphoned off Rs 1.79 crore through dummy bank accounts and collected an additional Rs 60 lakh in cash,” said Dr Hemant Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of the IFSO unit.
The police traced the suspects using technical surveillance and mobile number analysis, leading them to various locations across Delhi and Noida.
“The forged registration and allotment documents provided by the accused were verified with IGL and found to be fake. A detailed investigation revealed the money trail and led to the identification of the three accused. Pandey, who forged the documents, was the mastermind, while Amrendra Kumar collected the cash from the victim. Amar Singh, a former employee of the Ministry of Petroleum, posed as a facilitator,” the official explained.
The accused used sophisticated methods to avoid detection, including creating fake email IDs and using SIM cards registered under other people’s names to communicate with the victim.
The fraudsters took advantage of the complainant’s interest in setting up a CNG pump by promising swift allotment and installation. “They claimed to have connections in the Ministry of Petroleum and IGL. To convince the complainant, they arranged site visits and issued fake NOCs, area clearance reports and invoices to dispel any doubts,” added the DCP.
Posed as agents of Indraprastha Gas Limited
- The three accused presented themselves as agents of Indraprastha Gas Limited
- They promised minimal formalities and a quick installation process
- The accused used sophisticated methods to avoid detection, including creating fake email IDs and using SIM cards
