Retired Colonel Swindled of Rs 3.41 Crore in Elaborate Cyber Scam; Two Arrested in Chandigarh Crackdown

The Chandigarh Police's Cyber Crime Cell has made significant strides in combatting cyber fraud by arresting two individuals tied to a shocking scam that defrauded a retired Army Colonel and his wife of Rs 3.41 crore. The victims, Colonel Dalip Singh (Retd), 82, and his wife Ranvinder Kaur, 74, residents of Sector 2A, Chandigarh, were targeted in a scheme that saw them being led to believe they were involved in serious legal troubles due to a fabricated money laundering case linked to jailed businessman Naresh Goyal.

The investigation kicked off after an FIR was filed on April 5, 2025, following the couple's harrowing experience which began on March 18. The fraudsters, who identified themselves as officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), contacted Colonel Singh via an international number, claiming that he was under investigation. They employed the psychological tactic of a "digital arrest," keeping Singh on a prolonged video call while intimidating him with false legal threats. This relentless pressure led the Colonel to transfer multiple sums of money to various accounts dictated by the scammers over several days, eventually aggregating to the staggering sum of Rs 3.41 crore.

The arrested suspects, Mahak Yadav (25) from Mohindergarh, Haryana, and Sachin Sharma (23) from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, were apprehended through a coordinated police operation. Following the filing of the FIR, a raid was executed in Narnaul where Yadav was arrested. During interrogation, he disclosed that Rs 1.05 crore had been funneled into his account and that he had taken a commission of Rs 1.20 lakh from the transactions. This pivotal information led to the arrest of Sachin Sharma on April 7 in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Authorities recovered two mobile phones from the accused, which are currently under analysis to trace further leads and uncover the extent of the scam.

The operation is being overseen by SP (Cyber Crime) Geetanjali Khandelwal, along with DSP A. Venkatesh and Inspector Rohitash Kumar Yadav, who serves as the SHO of the Cyber Police station. The police have indicated that efforts are underway to identify other beneficiaries involved in the scheme and to recover the misappropriated funds. Both individuals remain in police custody as authorities explore their potential involvement in additional cybercrimes, further expanding the investigation into wider networks of cyber fraud.

This unfortunate incident is a stark reminder of the growing sophistication and prevalence of cyber scams targeting vulnerable individuals. With the elderly population often being the most at risk, it underscores the critical need for awareness and preventive measures against such deceptive tactics. The Chandigarh Police's proactive response not only aims to bring the perpetrators to justice but also serves as a warning for others against engaging with unknown callers or emails, especially those invoking legal or financial threats. As investigations continue, the hope remains that the victims will see some restitution for their sizeable losses in this elaborate and distressing fraud.