Ludhiana: An international extortion racket targeting wealthy expatriates has been uncovered in Punjab after two alleged rogue social media operators, posing as mainstream journalists, defrauded a British citizen over a fabricated legal dispute. Ludhiana's rural police have dismantled the local operation, charging two individuals with duping British national Amandeep Kaur of more than ₹1.2 lakh by claiming high-level connections within the civil and police administrations.
How the Fraud Unfolded
The investigation has sparked a dramatic legal standoff, leading to a 4 am raid by a high court warrant officer on a local police station amid allegations of illegal detention. The fraud began when Amandeep Kaur, a resident of Nangal village currently visiting India, became involved in a civil court dispute in Jagraon. After an altercation with the opposing party during a hearing, she sought media coverage to highlight her case.
Investigators claim that the suspects — Naseeb Singh and local YouTube channel operator Sony Sherpuri — intercepted Kaur at the courthouse. Posing as influential journalists, the pair asserted they could manipulate the administrative system to resolve her complaint, extracting an initial upfront payment of ₹1 lakh. The extortion escalated on June 4 after Kaur's formal grievance was routed to Senior Superintendent of Police Ankur Gupta, who assigned the matter to the Jagraon City police station for a routine inquiry.
Seizing on the bureaucratic movement, the fraudulent journalists contacted Kaur on June 8 and demanded an additional ₹5 lakh to guarantee “prompt action” through their alleged police contacts. When Kaur stated she could not immediately liquidate that amount, the suspects coerced her into handing over a final cash payment of ₹20,000. She later discovered that the men had no legitimate journalistic credentials and had fabricated their administrative influence, prompting her to file a criminal complaint.
Police Response and Legal Battle
The police response triggered a separate legal battle. Following a formal inquiry, police arrested Naseeb Singh, while Sherpuri remains at large. Naseeb's family moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, claiming officers were holding the suspect in illegal, unrecorded custody. The high court deployed a warrant officer to raid the Jagraon City police station at 4 am on Tuesday to inspect the cells. However, records show that the police managed to officially log Naseeb's arrest just before the judicial officer entered the facility.
The warrant officer seized all station logs, the FIR record, and electronic arrest timestamps to compile a report for the high court. Both suspects are charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita with cheating, extortion, and impersonation. This case highlights the vulnerabilities of expatriates and the misuse of social media platforms for criminal activities.
