Former PM's Student Turns Fraudster: 77-Year-Old Fake Colonel Held For Cheating In Patiala

New Delhi: The Delhi Crime Branch has arrested a 77-year-old wanted fraudster accused of impersonating himself as a colonel of the Indian Army to defraud victims by offering them flats and shops in the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO). The accused, identified as Sitaram Gupta (77), was arrested from an old-age home in Punjab's Patiala, where he was hiding himself under a false identity. As per the police, the accused was an economics student of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at the Punjab University. 

The police stated that the accused was involved in several cases of cheating and fraud by luring victims in the name of giving job in the Indian Army in Delhi. The police are interrogating the accused to ascertain other facts related to the case. 

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP, Crime Branch) Apoorva Gupta stated that a team of the Crime Branch under the supervision of ACP Arvind Kumar successfully apprehended the accused, Sitaram Gupta alias Sitaram Singla, a resident of Punjab's Patiala. He was evading trial in a case of cheating and forgery registered in Delhi. The accused was wanted in connection with a fraud case of offering a flat and a shop in the Indian Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO), dating back to 2007, registered at the Vivek Vihar Police Station. 

As per the DCP, he got bail in the case and later jumped his bail and started living in an old-age home in Patiala. The case was registered on the complaint of one Anil Nigam, a bank employee, wherein he alleged that the accused had introduced himself as a colonel-rank army officer posted in Delhi. In his statement, Anil stated that the accused offered a flat to him, which was to be built by the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO), and he also offered to book a shop under the same scheme and took Rs 56,000. 

Later, the complainant developed suspicion about the accused and filed an FIR at the Vivek Vihar Police Station. Following the registration of the case, the police arrested the accused, who was later released on bail by the Court. However, the accused evaded trial and preferred to run from the law. Later, the Court declared him a Proclaimed Offender (PO).

Meanwhile, on May 31st, the police arrested the accused from the old-age home in Patiala based on credible secret information. During the preliminary inquiry, it was found that the accused was living in an old-age home with a false identity. Following his arrest, the accused revealed his long-standing efforts to evade law enforcement agencies. 

The police disclosed that the accused Sitaram Gupta was an economics student of the former Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh. The accused worked as a contractor in the Indian Army and started supplying Oil to various cantonment areas all over India. During his work, he gained knowledge of various ranks of army officers and learned about the recruitment process of the Indian Army. He further revealed that splitting from his work, he used to introduce himself as a colonel of the Indian Army and started fraud with Delhiites. He took money from several youths on the pretext of giving job in the Indian Army. 

The accused was found involved in three cases of cheating and forgery in Delhi.