Fake ED officials ‘raid’ DLF Farms resident, attempt to extort ₹5 crore

The incident took place on October 21 night when the seven imposters entered the Ashoka Avenue premises in the Chhattarpur’s DLF Farms claiming that they were conducting a search

Seven men posing as Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials attempted to extort ₹5 crore from a farmstay resident on the pretext of a raid, said the ED on Friday (October 25, 2024). The Delhi Police have registered a case in this regard.

The incident took place on October 21 night when the seven imposters entered the Ashoka Avenue premises in the Chhattarpur’s DLF Farms claiming that they were conducting a search. They entered the house of the victim and asked him why he was withdrawing cash regularly from his bank account. They also showed him a few cheques of his old bank account.

The fake officials then threatened to arrest the victim and take him away unless he agreed to pay up. The victim said he would withdraw money from his bank the next morning. The “raiding team” stayed at the victim’s house the entire night and took him to the bank the next day. In the meantime, the victim managed to message his lawyer.

The next day, the ED came to know that the victim had been taken to the Hauz Khas branch of Kotak Mahindra Bank to withdraw ₹5 crore from his account. “On receipt of the information, an ED team was immediately rushed to the bank and information passed on to the area police station. Senior police officers were alerted, who also reached the spot immediately,” the ED said.

On reaching the bank, the ED officials found that the victim’s lawyer had confronted the imposters and sought to see their identification cards. Suspecting that they would get caught, they fled the bank leaving behind their cars, before its manager could lock the main gates.

The police have recorded the statement of the victim and impounded the cars used in the crime.

Published - October 25, 2024 10:46 pm IST