Delhi Police has arrested a 21-year-old man, who claimed to be a social worker of a youth organisation along with his associate for allegedly duping Covid-19 patients and their families on the pretext of providing home delivery of oxygen cylinders.
Two mobile phones and SIM cards used in the commission of the crime were also seized.
In an official statement on Wednesday, Delhi Police said that Ritik Kumar Singh, who claimed he is a social worker and president of youth organisation "India Youth Icon Team" with 18 lakh members, and his associate Sandeep Pandey cheated over 50 people, belonging to many states, for lakhs of rupees, since April 2021.
According to police, on May 2, a PCR call regarding online fraud on the pretext of providing an oxygen cylinder was received at Vivek Vihar Police station. During the inquiry, complainant Sanchet Aggarwal stated that his mother Vandana was ill and for which he was in need of an oxygen cylinder. Accordingly, he contacted numbers available on a social media platform who were promising to provide oxygen cylinders at home on payment.
Further, he and his father paid Rs 14,000 through an online wallet for two cylinders, but no oxygen cylinders were provided to him. Further, these numbers were switched off later and realized that he has been cheated by the persons using these mobile number, police said.
During the course of the investigation, police obtained the bank statement and details of the online wallet of the complainant, and on the scrutiny it was revealed that the fraudulent transaction was credited into the online wallet which was registered on the name of one Sandeep Tea.
Police said that the fraudulent amount was further transferred into an account registered in the name of one Sandeep Pandey, and from there it was transferred into another account that belonged to one Ritik Kumar Singh.
"On the basis of mobile phone location, local intelligence, and hard work put forth by the investigating team, both accused, Sandeep and Ritik, were apprehended from Greater Noida. After thorough interrogation, both the accused were arrested in this case," Delhi Police said.
Police said that on sustained interrogation, the accused disclosed that Ritik is the main accused of the gang in connivance with co-accused Sandeep Pandey induced the victims whose family members were COVID patients to pay for oxygen cylinder promising speedy home delivery.
"They got viral their mobile number in social media for the supply of oxygen. They received many phone calls for getting the oxygen cylinder and received fraudulent amount in their bank account by cheating with the same modus operandi and led a lavish lifestyle," police said,
"Total fraudulent amount of Rs 2.43 Lakh was found credited in the account of Sandeep Pandey and Rs 4.23 Lakh was found credited in the account of Ritik Kumar Singh. Police also seized two SIM cards, two mobile phones used in the commission of crimes," it added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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