Debt-ridden gambler arrested for duping friend’s dad of Rs 31 lakh

Times News Network
Ludhiana: The police have arrested Sham Lal, 42, of Kabir Nagar for duping his friend’s father of Rs 31 lakh on the pretext of doubling his money. Rs 3.67 lakh cash and a scooter used in the crime have been recovered from the accused.
The police have also identified one of his accomplices as Happy Sharma of Gagandeep Colony, while two more are yet to be recognised.
Joint commissioner of police (city) Bhagirath Singh Meena said Manpreet Singh of Guru Nanak Nagar had lodged a complaint, saying Sham Lal had lured his father, Joginder Singh, with an investment scheme to double his money and asked him to put in Rs 25 lakh. On July 17, the accused called up his father from an unknown number and said the CIA staff of Chandigarh Police had arrested him with Rs 25 lakh and they would arrest him too if he did not bribe them.
Complainant Manpreet Singh alleged that the accused asked his father to arrange Rs 6 lakh to bribe the cops. Once he and his father arranged the money, an accomplice of Sham Lal, impersonating as a CIA staff member, took Rs 6 lakh from them.
Manpreet Singh said he followed the imposter and saw him entering the house of Sham Lal in Kabir Nagar. He found the matter suspicious and lodged a police complaint.
Meena said the Daresi police had lodged an FIR under sections 420 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC against Sham Lal and his accomplices on August 15 and have now arrested the former.
During questioning, the accused told police that he exchanged damaged notes on commission. He was debt-ridden and had lost money in gambling. The lenders were pressuring him to return the money. He knew Joginder Singh had money and it was easy to lure him on the pretext of doubling his wealth. He admitted to having concocted the CIA arrest story.
Happy Sharma, who impersonated as a cop and collected Rs 6 lakh from Joginder Singh, and his accomplices had got Rs 13 lakh for the task.
The police are trying to trace the on-the-run accused.