Fake Flight Lt held for duping over 100 youth on pretext of IAF career

New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) A man, impersonating a Flight Lieutenant and duping over 100 unemployed youth in the name of providing a career in the Indian Air Force, has been arrested, a Delhi Police official said on Thursday.

The accused has been identified as Kamal Sharma, 39, a resident of Vikas Vihar in west Delhi.

According to police, a grievance was reported on Cyber Crime Reporting Portal from a female complainant, who stated that she had come across a person through online mode who runs an NGO namely "We Eliminate Poverty Now".

"After some time, he introduced himself as an Air Force gazetted Officer (Flying Lieutenant) and defrauded her of Rs 12 lakh in the name of a job in the Indian Air Force. The man, Kamal, also sent a letter for medical examination and letter of appointment to the complainant via WhatsApp and mail," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Outer North, Ravi Kumar Singh, said.

"But later on, after a long time when she had lost her hope to have a job in IAF, she started requesting her money back from the accused but in vain. Thereafter she got a complaint lodged. After a preliminary enquiry, an FIR was registered in the matter and investigation was taken up," he said.

During the investigation, a police team tasked with investigation collected WhatsApp chat history screenshots, mail id details, bank and UPI transactions history.

"Sharma used to communicate to the complainant only via WhatsApp calls and chats. The details were sought from WhatsApp, Banks and Wallets. On the technical leads, the accused was traced out at Bengaluru in a hotel with a fake Identity Card of Flying Lieutenant and three smartphones," said the DCP.

He was arrested and he was brought to Delhi after obtaining transit remand.

"Raids were conducted at Sharma's rented accommodations at Chhatarpur and police recovered an IAF uniform (with name plate, ranks, badges, caps), air pistol gun with five bullets, different stamps, IAF letterheads, call letters, IAF family dependent card and other incriminating documents," said the DCP.

The DCP further said that Sharma is a habitual offender and three FIRs are also registered against him in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Sharma was well versed with the internal information of the IAF and using it to defraud people in the name of a lucrative career in the service.

Police investigation done so far has revealed that he had defrauded candidates from different cities like Bengalurue, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Panaji, Kochi, Bidar, Patna, Jammu, and Belgaum.

"He used to meet people in IAF uniform in order to influence them," said the official, adding that investigation of the case is in progress.