Fake ED officers arrested for attempting Rs 20 crore extortion from Delhi businessman
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The Delhi Police have arrested two individuals for allegedly posing as Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers in an attempt to extort Rs 20 crore from a businessman in South Delhi.
The accused, identified as Iqbal Qureshi and Arun Lal, were apprehended in Khizrabad on February 19, nearly four months after the crime.
According to the police, Qureshi, who orchestrated the plan, was a former member of the Prince Tewatia gang and has a criminal record with over 30 cases, including charges related to rape and Arms Act violations.
On October 22, 2024, Qureshi and six accomplices allegedly stormed a farmhouse in Mehrauli, pretending to conduct an ED raid. Under the pretense of investigating large cash withdrawals from the businessman’s bank account, they interrogated him and threatened arrest, demanding Rs 20 crore to drop the case.
When the businessman claimed he needed to visit the bank to arrange the payment, the gang allowed him to leave under escort, while five of the impersonators remained at the farmhouse overnight. Accompanied by two gang members, the businessman visited a Hauz Khas bank and managed to discreetly alert his manager and lawyer via WhatsApp. Upon verifying with the ED’s office that no such raid had been authorized, his legal team raised an alarm.
Sensing trouble, the accused fled the bank, avoiding immediate capture.
A special Crime Branch team, led by ACP Naresh Solanki and Inspector Vijay Pal Dahiya, launched an investigation. They traced a mobile number used during the fake raid, which was linked to Qureshi. Following this lead, the police arrested Qureshi and Arun Lal, while efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining gang members.