In a significant development, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has successfully arrested Pooja Rani, the wife of accused Hardeep Singh, as part of an intricate scam involving impersonation as vigilance and CBI officials. Hardeep Singh and five other accomplices were allegedly collecting money from various individuals under false pretenses. Pooja Rani was presented in court and subsequently remanded to police custody for two days, marking a crucial step in the ongoing investigation into the case.
The VB spokesperson disclosed that four associates of Pooja Rani had already been apprehended for coercing a farmer into issuing two cheques totaling Rs 25 lakhs. The victim was threatened with false charges by individuals posing as vigilance officials from the Chandigarh office. Among the arrested accomplices, Manjeet Singh, Paramjeet Singh, Parminder Singh, and Pinder Sodhi are in judicial custody, while one, Hardip Singh, remains at large.
The case originated from a complaint filed by Palwinder Singh of Bhaini Salu village in Ludhiana district. Singh reported that after selling 18 acres of ancestral land, he received a notice regarding the sale of panchayat land. Subsequently, on August 12, 2023, three individuals identifying themselves as officers from the Vigilance Department in Sector-17, Chandigarh, visited Singh’s home. Allegedly demanding Rs 50 lakhs to resolve the purported inquiry pending at the Chandigarh office, the impersonators threatened to register a fraud case if the amount was not paid. Fearing legal repercussions, Singh agreed to pay Rs 25 lakhs. The accused persuaded him to sign two cheques, amounting to Rs 15 lakhs and Rs 10 lakhs, promising to return them upon receiving the cash. An additional Rs 27,000 was also taken by one of the impersonators.
Following the incident, Singh received threatening WhatsApp calls demanding the promised Rs 25 lakhs, leading to the registration of FIR No 20 dated 28.8.2023 under relevant sections.
The VB spokesperson revealed that Pinder Sodhi, one of the arrested accomplices, divulged crucial information about the modus operandi employed in defrauding individuals, implicating Pooja Rani in the process. Despite residing in Delhi with her absconding husband, extraordinary efforts led to Pooja Rani’s arrest near Ladhowal toll plaza, Ludhiana, while she was traveling in a taxi. The VB team recovered two mobile phones and important documents related to the case during her apprehension. Furthermore, investigations uncovered an additional extortion of Rs 52 lakhs in June 2023, where the accused posed as CBI officers during a raid on a family in Pehowa village, Haryana.