Delhi police bust syndicate duping people in name of providing CNG pumps; three held

New Delhi [India], September 30 : With the arrest of three suspects, the IFSO Unit of Delhi police successfully dismantled a syndicate responsible for cheating unsuspecting victims under the pretence of installing petrol and CNG pumps. In this case, the fraudsters duped the complainant of Rs 2.39 crore under the guise of setting up a CNG pump. The accused had received Rs 1.79 crore through various dummy bank accounts and Rs 60 lakh in cash.
On March 27, 2024, the complainant approached the IFSO Special Cell, stating that he had been defrauded of Rs 2.39 crore by individuals who promised to install a CNG pump on his land. The complainant stated that in 2021, while researching petrol/CNG pump allotment processes online, he was approached by two individuals, Amrendra and Amit Pandey, who presented themselves as coordinators and agents of Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL). They lured him with promises of getting a CNG pump installed with minimal formalities. The accused created forged documents, including a registration certificate, bank account details, and an invoice with a GST number, and sent them to the complainant. By posing as IGL officials, the fraudsters swindled Rs2.39 crore from the victim.
After receiving the complaint, a case was registered, and the investigation began. The team gathered details of the bank accounts involved in the fraud and traced the money trail. The registration and allotment documents provided by the accused were verified with IGL and found to be faked.
Through a detailed analysis of mobile numbers and technical surveillance, the team pinpointed the location of the suspects and subsequently arrested Amit Kumar Pandey, Amrendra Kumar, and Amar Singh. To avoid detection, the accused had been using SIM cards registered in other people's names. They also created fake email IDs to send documents to the complainant. Amit Kumar Pandey was identified as the mastermind who forged the registration and allotment documents, while Amrendra Kumar collected the cash from the complainant. Amar Singh, a former employee of the Ministry of Petroleum, posed as a facilitator.
The syndicate learnt that the complainant was seeking to install a CNG pump on his land and falsely presented themselves as IGL officials and intermediaries. They offered to install the CNG pump with minimal formalities, claiming to have strong connections in the Ministry of Petroleum and IGL. The gang employed various tactics to deceive the complainant, including arranging site visits, issuing fake NOCs, area clearance reports, and invoices to avoid raising suspicion.
The investigation into other co-conspirators and any possible connection to IGL is ongoing. More details are awaited.