7 ‘Fake’ ED Officers 'Raided' Delhi Man, Sought Rs 5 Crore

(Representative image)

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has booked seven persons who conducted a "fake" raid against a man living in DLF Farms area and tried to extort Rs 5 crore from him by impersonating as Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials. 

The federal probe agency issued a statement Friday saying it was informed on October 22, around 12 pm that "some people posing as ED officers were conducting a fake ED search at Ashoka Avenue, DLF Farms in Chattarpur area of south Delhi." 

"It was also informed that the fake ED officers have taken the victim to Kotak bank in Hauz Khas to withdraw Rs 5 crore from his bank account so that the same can be taken away in the name of ED raid," the agency said. 

The victim informed ED and police officials that seven people came to his house in the night of October 21 in two cars and claimed to be ED officers who had come for executing a raid. 

He told the officials that three people interacted with him as the rest wore face masks. 

The conmen asked the victim as to why he was withdrawing cash regularly from his bank account, the ED said. 

They also showed him some cheques of his old bank account and the "fake" ED officers threatened to arrest him and take him away unless he agreed to pay them crores of rupees, the agency said. 

As the victim stated that the money could be taken out only from the bank next morning, the fake ED officers stayed at the victim's house that night. 

When the fraudsters took the man to the bank next day, he "managed" to message his lawyer who soon landed at the bank and confronted the conmen and sought their IDs, according to the ED. 

"The fake ED officers grew suspicious of being caught and ran away before the bank gates could be closed by the bank Manager," the ED said. 

Some of those who stayed back at the victim's home also ran away after they got a wink of what happened at the bank. They, however, were not able to take the cars with them as the gates of the house were locked, the ED said. 

It was after this that the agency officials were informed and they reached the bank along with the police. 

The police registered an FIR, recorded the statement of the victim, and seized the cars that were parked at his house, the ED said.