A 44-year-old habitual cheat, who allegedly duped a businessman of over Rs 1.65 lakh by posing as the spouse of a prominent politician, has been arrested, an official said on Monday.
“Singh had created a messaging account using a SIM card registered with a fake identity and used the Ashoka emblem as the profile picture. Bhalinder Pal Singh allegedly duped a Dwarka-based businessman of Rs 1.69 lakh, claiming that money was urgently required to pay a student’s fee, which would be reimbursed through the office, he said. The officer said the case was registered after the complainant, a businessman in Dwarka Sector 6, approached police on September 11, saying he received a call from a person claiming to be the spouse of a prominent leader. “Believing the representation, the businessman transferred a total of Rs 1.69 lakh to different bank accounts provided by the caller. “Singh has been previously involved in 25 cases relating to cheating, impersonation, extortion and offences under the Prison Act.
Police said Singh, who used the Ashoka emblem as his messaging app profile picture to lend credibility to his claims, had frequently changed his identity and had allegedly posed as a mayor, personal assistant to an MLA and a relative of MPs in earlier cheating cases registered in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. He used the account to create an impression of official authority while communicating with potential victims,” the police officer said. He also booked a flight ticket from Delhi to Lucknow,” the officer said. He has also been declared a proclaimed offender in four cases, while non-bailable warrants have been issued against him in four other cheating cases registered in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana,” the officer said, adding that further investigation into the matter is underway.
