Seven arrested for impersonating CBI officials in Rohini extortion racket
The Delhi Police have arrested seven persons, including a former bar singer, an ex-State Bank of India employee, and a woman who previously worked at a hotel, for allegedly impersonating Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials and conducting fake raids to extort money. The arrests were announced on Monday.
The gang came to light when a mother-son duo in Rohini refused to open their door after the purported officials arrived at their residence. According to the police, the incident occurred on August 11, when Pratham Aggarwal, a resident of Prashant Vihar, reported that persons claiming to be CBI officials had come to his house. They displayed purported CBI identity cards and said they were there to conduct a raid. When Mr. Aggarwal and his mother asked for a search warrant, the suspects allegedly threatened them.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Shashank Jaiswal said, “The group remained outside their residence for about one and a half hours, creating fear and apprehension. Following intervention by neighbours, they claimed that a notice had been issued to the complainant’s father and left on the pretext of retrieving it from their vehicle. The complainant thereafter called the police helpline at 112.”
The purported officials had also sent a forged notice to Mr. Aggarwal’s father. An FIR was registered on August 19. The police have arrested seven individuals so far, including the alleged mastermind, Asifa, 29, a former hotel employee; Kuldeep Sharma, a former SBI employee; and Pooja, a former singer at bars and hotels.
The police said Asifa allegedly recruited members, while Kuldeep shared information about the complainant’s residence and possible cash or valuables. Pooja allegedly arranged other members. Their suspected involvement in similar incidents in Delhi and Mumbai is being investigated.
The arrests come amid growing concerns about impersonation of law enforcement agencies to commit fraud. The Delhi Police have urged citizens to verify the credentials of anyone claiming to be an official from investigative agencies, and to ask for proper identification and search warrants before allowing entry.
Further investigation is underway to identify any additional victims or accomplices linked to the gang.
