Jalandhar man duped of Rs 3 lakh by fake Income Tax officer

A resident of Urban Estate Phase-1, Iqbaljit Singh Bhatia, was allegedly duped of Rs 3 lakh by a man posing as an Income Tax officer.

The victim reported the incident to the Commissioner’s office on Monday, which has been referred to the cyber cell and the concerned police station for further investigation.

According to Bhatia’s complaint, he was introduced to the accused, identified as Subhash Chandra, a resident of Bhopal (as per documents he provided), on February 7 through a property dealer based on Garha Road.

Chandra claimed to have recently transferred to Jalandhar and was seeking rental accommodation. Bhatia, believing Chandra’s claim of being an Income Tax officer, agreed to rent out the first floor of his house for a period of two to three years.

Bhatia further said that Chandra did not pay the security deposit, claiming his wallet had been stolen while travelling to Jalandhar. Believing this story, Bhatia allowed Chandra to move in, with the promise that he would pay the deposit within a week.

A few days later, during a conversation with Bhatia, Chandra claimed he could arrange gold at a cheaper rate through his position in the Income Tax Department. Again trusting him, Bhatia withdrew Rs 3 lakh from the SBI Bank Choti Baradari branch on February 13 and handed it over to Chandra, who accompanied him to the bank. The accused assured Bhatia he would deliver the gold within a few days.

However, after two days, when Chandra neither delivered the gold nor returned Bhatia’s calls, he became suspicious. Chandra’s phone remained switched off, and further inquiries at the Income Tax Department revealed that no officer by the name of Subhash Chandra had been transferred or employed there.

Realising he had been defrauded, Bhatia approached the police authorities and lodged a formal complaint, seeking action against the accused and the recovery of his money. 

Meanwhile, police officials stated that they are verifying the claims, after which an FIR will be registered.