Fake officer’s fiasco: Panipat cops nab impersonator

The Panipat police have arrested a man who impersonated a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and allegedly defrauded a local security agency owner of Rs 11.46 lakh by promising him a security contract at Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Advertisement

The accused has been identified as Sumit Ahuja, a resident of Eight Marla locality in Panipat city. According to DSP Satish Vats, who addressed a press conference on Wednesday, the case was filed following a complaint by Amit Sharma, a resident of Dutta Colony, who runs AV Security Service in Model Town, Panipat, which provides manpower for security operations. Amit stated that he met Sumit Ahuja and his wife Tanveer Sandhu at a car service centre. Posing as a DSP posted at the Investigation Bureau in Panchkula, Ahuja also claimed that his wife was an officer at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh.

Amit’s complaint mentioned that his bank account had been frozen on January 5, prompting him to seek Sumit’s help. Ahuja then made a phone call to a number saved as “DCP South Zone Mumbai” and assured Amit that the matter would be resolved, demanding Rs 40,000 as a fee.

Later, on January 14, Ahuja contacted Amit again, claiming that a security tender had opened at Panjab University and that he had family ties with the university’s director. He even shared a list of required documents for the tender.

On January 22, Ahuja took Amit to Chandigarh and entered an office, later returning to say that the deal was finalised and Rs 11 lakh had to be paid the same day. When Amit expressed his inability to pay the full amount immediately, Ahuja offered to cover the payment temporarily, asking Amit to return the amount the next day. Subsequently, Amit borrowed Rs 7.5 lakh from a friend named Robin and paid it to Sumit. He handed over another Rs 3.5 lakh on January 23, along with Rs 6,000 as the tender fee.

When Amit followed up regarding the tender, Ahuja began avoiding him and making excuses. Growing suspicious, Amit visited Sumit’s last known residence in Sawan Park, where the landlord informed him that the couple were tenants and had been missing for days.

Following the complaint, an FIR was registered at the Old Industrial Area Police Station and the case was handed over to CIA-2, led by Inspector Phool Kumar, by Superintendent of Police Bhupender Singh. The team successfully arrested Sumit Ahuja from his residence in Eight Marla. During interrogation, Ahuja admitted to committing the fraud by impersonating a DSP. DSP Vats further revealed that Sumit Ahuja is also an accused in another fraud case registered at Ramnagar Police Station, Karnal, where he allegedly duped a youth of Rs 12 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad.

Legal proceedings are underway and police are investigating the possibility of more victims connected to the accused’s fraudulent activities.