NEW DELHI: Three members of a gang were arrested for cheating passengers near railway stations and adjoining roads. One of them posed as a government official and, with the help of his associates, duped passengers on the pretext of checking in view of the prevailing war situation and other security concerns, police said on Tuesday.
The incident took place on March 12 when the complainant stated that he had come to New Delhi Railway Station from Bihar, and was waiting for a bus at Tagore Road cut.
Meanwhile, an auto driver approached him, and another passenger also joined the ride for Badarpur. After a short distance, one more person boarded the auto-rickshaw, introduced himself as a government official, and started checking the complainant on the pretext of security verification, a senior police officer said.
During this process, the accused took `13,000 in cash and the ATM card of the complainant. Later, he returned an envelope claiming that his belongings were inside. After reaching Badarpur, the complainant checked the envelope and found his cash and ATM card missing. He later discovered that Rs 52,000 had been withdrawn from his bank account.
Police checked CCTV footage and traced the route of the auto-rickshaw used in the crime. Later, based on secret information, police reached Asola, Fatehpur Beri, where a raid was conducted and three accused were nabbed. They were identified as Krishan Kumar (50), Ravi Kumar (50), and Rahul Gupta (32), Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said.
The accused disclosed that they specifically targeted passengers waiting for public transport near railway stations and adjoining roads. Krishan operated the auto-rickshaw and approached passengers under the pretext of offering them a ride. During the journey, Gupta boarded as a co-passenger to gain the victims’ confidence.
Later, Ravi introduced himself as a government official and claimed he was conducting security verification in view of the prevailing war situation. During this process, Krishan reassured victims that such checks were routine. On this pretext, Ravi took possession of cash and ATM cards and asked for the PIN, the DCP said.