Miscreants pose as IT officials, flee away with Rs 23 lakh cash

AMBALA: Ambala police have registered a case under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against some accused who plotted a crime and fled away with Rs 23 lakh cash from a hotel in Lal Kurti area of Ambala, after posing themselves as Income Tax Department officials.
On the complaint of Satish Kumar of Alipura village in Yamunanagar district, Ambala police have registered a case under Section 34, 365, 419, and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Parao police station to start the investigation in this matter.

In his complaint to police, Satish stated, “I had settled a deal of sending my son Rahul abroad in Rs 24 lakh with Rakesh Kumar alias Bhura of Kirmach village in Kurukshetra district. On April 19, at around 7.30pm, I along with my son and friend Karamvir came to Pipli in our car where we met Rakesh and Jasbir.

Rakesh told us that Jasbir works to send people abroad. I was carrying Rs 24 lakh cash in my car and together we all left for Ambala, while on the way, Jasbir and Rakesh made several phone calls. They asked us to stop the car near Jaggi City Centre in Ambala where three youths were waiting. Jasbir and Rakesh went outside to meet those youths and stated they did not get any room here and asked to search for some other hotel. Later we stayed at Ishant Hotel in Lal Kurti area of Ambala. Rakesh booked two rooms 154, 155 on the identity of Delhi youth Gurinder and we all went inside the rooms. Where Sikander, Jasbir, Gurinder, Vineet, and Rakesh checked and counted Rs 24 lakh. The Delhi youth Gurinder asked us to leave for Delhi Airport Number 1 and we would get everything ready over there. About the payment, it was decided with Rakesh that once my son reaches Canada he would do a video call from there that he has reached Canada, and the payment would be given only then. I took Rs 1 lakh from Rs 24 lakh and left for Delhi along with my son, Rakesh, and Sikander and I left my friend Karamvir for the security of payment at Ambala hotel. When we reached near Delhi, Sikander said there is something wrong as nobody’s phone is connecting. Sikander searched Ishant Hotel's contact number from the internet, then the hotel manager connected us to Jasbir, who told that after 1.5 hours of when we had left for Delhi from Ambala, five youths came to the hotel while posing as Income Tax (IT) Department officials, who have seized Rs 23 lakh cash and they have fled away with cash and SIM cards of our mobile phones.”

“We immediately returned back to Ambala. They noted the numbers of the currency notes and questioned that what we are doing with such amount of cash when the election model code of conduct is enforced. They alleged that we have come to distribute this money in the elections and then they packed all the money in a bag and fled away with Vineet along with SIM cards of our phone”, further states Satish in the First Information Report (FIR).

Parao SHO inspector Munish Kumar said, “The identity of Rakesh is ascertained but the identifications of others and those five accused who have fled away with cash after posing as IT officials is yet to be ascertained. We have the positive leads in this case and our teams are working to nab the accused as soon as possible. There was no IT raid but some miscreants have posed as the department officials and fled away with Rs 23 lakh cash from the hotel. We are investigating the matter.”