A shocking case of online fraud, amounting to a staggering Rs 8 crore, has come to light in Patiala, pushing a retired senior police officer to attempt suicide. The incident has led to the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified cyber criminals.
The Tragic Incident and Police Response
On Tuesday, an FIR was officially registered in connection with the massive financial scam that allegedly drove retired Punjab Inspector General (IG) Amar Singh Chahal to attempt to take his own life a day earlier. According to police reports, Chahal shot himself on Monday at his Patiala residence using a licensed revolver belonging to his IRB gunman, sustaining a serious chest wound.
He was rushed to a private hospital where he underwent surgery. Police officials confirmed that the former officer is now in a stable condition and out of immediate danger. The case was registered based on a complaint lodged by Chahal's wife, as the retired IG himself had not formally reported the fraud to the authorities.
Details of the Sophisticated Scam
Investigations revealed that Chahal was ensnared by a highly organized group of cyber criminals posing as wealth managers. The scam operated through WhatsApp and Telegram groups named 'F-777 DBS Wealth Equity Research Group'. The perpetrators used promises of high returns from stock trading to lure their victim.
In a detailed 12-page handwritten note addressed to Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, found at his home, Chahal described the fraudsters as "sophisticated scammers." They built trust by showing initial fake profits on manipulated dashboards. Once hooked, they pressured him into making larger investments.
The scam followed a classic pattern: after the victim invested significant funds, the fraudsters demanded additional taxes and fees, effectively blocking any possibility of withdrawing money. Chahal revealed in his note that he had borrowed approximately Rs 7 crore from friends and family, investing around Rs 1 crore of his own money through three banks starting in October.
Ongoing Investigation and Fallout
Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Varun Sharma stated that the FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to impersonation, cheating, and forgery, along with provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act. The statements of Chahal's wife, son, and daughter-in-law were recorded.
In a swift action, police have frozen around 25 bank accounts mentioned in the retired IG's note and are actively probing the complex money trail. Digital evidence from devices is being thoroughly examined. Sources indicated that Chahal had met a recently retired Patiala Deputy Inspector General (DIG) a few days prior to the incident and appeared deeply depressed.
In his poignant note, the former officer demanded an investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and expressed profound apologies to his family for the immense loss and distress caused.
