‘You funded Red Fort Blast’: Delhi Couple Loses ₹30 Lakh In Seven-Day Digital Arrest Scam

A retired railway employee and his wife in Delhi were left ₹30 lakh poorer after cyber fraudsters allegedly posed as NIA and ATS officials and convinced the couple that their bank account had been used to finance the Red Fort blast.

The 74-year-old man, who lives in Dwarka, was kept on video and phone calls for nearly a week and warned against contacting anyone, including his children. Believing he was facing arrest, he eventually emptied a fixed deposit and transferred his savings to accounts controlled by the fraudsters.

A call turns into a week-long ordeal

The fraud began on November 23 last year, when the retired railway employee received a call while preparing to attend a family wedding.

The caller introduced himself as an NIA officer and claimed that the victim’s bank account had surfaced during an investigation into the November 10 car blast near the Red Fort. The man was allegedly told that he had funded people involved in the attack and that his account had been used to finance terrorists.

A video call followed the next day. Another person joined the conversation, claiming to be an ATS officer. The two men allegedly told the victim that his account had been linked to Umar Nabi and other blast accused and warned that he could be arrested.

The couple were then made to remain available to the callers throughout the day for almost seven days.

Fake agreement and scrutiny of savings

The fraudsters allegedly controlled the couple through repeated calls and told them not to discuss the matter with outsiders. They even sent a document described as a “Confidentiality Agreement” through WhatsApp and made the elderly man sign it.

The scammers then turned their attention to the couple’s finances. They sought information about their bank accounts, fixed deposits and other assets, claiming that the details were required as part of the investigation.

After several days, the couple were allegedly told that the inquiry was almost over and that their money only needed to undergo a verification process.

₹30 lakh transferred in two instalments

The fraudsters instructed the retired railway employee to move his money into an account they described as being approved by the Reserve Bank of India. They assured him that the funds would be returned once the verification was completed.

On December 3, he broke his fixed deposit and transferred ₹15 lakh through RTGS.

Another demand followed the next day. The victim transferred a further ₹15 lakh, taking the total amount paid to ₹30 lakh.

To make the story appear genuine, the fraudsters subsequently sent him a fake RBI “Verification Letter” carrying the Governor’s seal.

Their calls stopped soon afterwards, leaving the couple to realise that they had fallen victim to a cyber scam.

Police follow ₹15 lakh transaction

The complaint was later handed over to the Crime Branch, which began examining the trail of the stolen money.

Around six months into the investigation, police traced one of the RTGS payments to an account belonging to Shri Balaji Tractor. The account was registered in the name of Sunil Singla, a resident of Fatehabad, Haryana.

Investigators found that Singla’s account had allegedly featured in several cyber fraud cases. Police said transactions amounting to nearly ₹1 crore had passed through the account in more than six cases.

Singla was arrested on May 11. During questioning, he allegedly told investigators that he had been seeking an online loan to expand his business when someone offered him a commission for allowing large transactions to be routed through his account.

₹12 lakh returned to victim

Police were able to block the movement of one ₹15 lakh instalment before it could be transferred further. Investigators recovered ₹12 lakh from the blocked amount and returned it to the elderly victim.

The case has also brought attention to a growing tactic used by cyber fraudsters: exploiting fear around major crimes and impersonating law-enforcement officials. By invoking agencies such as the NIA and ATS, threatening victims with arrest and producing fabricated official-looking documents, scammers can make their demands appear legitimate and pressure people into handing over their savings.