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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
Delhi: 18 years on the run: Fake ‘Army officer' hiding in Punjab old age home finally caught
On the run for 18 years, a 77-year-old man was arrested for allegedly duping people by posing as a colonel in the Army and offering them real estate under a fake Army Welfare Housing Scheme (AWS), the Delhi Police said. The accused, Sitaram Singla, who has an MA in History and Economics from Panjab University, was hiding in an old age home in Patiala since 2007 when he jumped bail. On Saturday, a Crime Branch team received a tip-off about his whereabouts. 'The information revealed that the accused is a resident of Mansa, Punjab. After jumping bail, he is presently living in an old-age home in Patiala, Punjab. The team of ARSC Crime Branch reached the spot and arrested the accused,' DCP (Crime Branch) Apoorva Gupta said. Police said Singla was arrested in 2007 after a complaint was filed at Vivek Vihar police station by a bank employee, Anil Nigam; he claimed Singla duped him of Rs 56,000. 'The accused offered a flat to the complainant, which he said was be built by the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) under a fictitious scheme, and also offered to book a shop under it. He took Rs 56,000 as earnest money and handed over two receipts to the complainant,' DCP Gupta said. Singla was arrested and got bail the same year, police said. But he failed to appear in court and had been on the run ever since, police said. On April 26, 2025, he was declared a proclaimed offender by the Karkardooma court. Born in Sirsa in 1948, Singla came to Delhi in 1987. 'He started working as a contractor in the Indian Army and supplied oil to various cantonment areas all over India. During his work, he gained knowledge about various ranks of Army Officers and learned about the recruitment process,' DCP Gupta said. Armed with insider knowledge, Singla then allegedly started posing as a colonel and duping people on the pretext of getting them discounted real estate and jobs using AWHO. Police said Singla cut off all contact with family to stay under the radar while on the run. He has two sons; his wife passed away a few years ago. 'He was found involved in three cases of cheating and forgery at Shakarpur police station and the Crime Branch,' the DCP said.
NDTV
4 days ago
- NDTV
Fraudster Posing As Army Colonel Arrested From Old-Age Home In Punjab
New Delhi: A 77-year-old man who had been absconding for over a decade after jumping bail in a cheating case involving the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) was arrested from an old-age home in Punjab's Patiala, the Delhi Police said on Sunday. The accused, Sitaram Gupta, a native of Mansa in Punjab was impersonating as a Colonel in the Indian Army and duped people by offering flats and shops under fictitious AWHO schemes, police in a statement said. "Gupta, a postgraduate in Economics and History from Panjab University and a former student of ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had been evading trial in a 2007 cheating case registered at Vivek Vihar police station in Delhi," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Apoorva Gupta in the statement said. He allegedly took Rs 56,000 from a complainant after offering him a flat and shop under the AWHO scheme and issued forged receipts, the officer said. After his arrest in 2007 and subsequent release on bail, Gupta went underground and failed to appear before court, leading to the issuance of non-bailable warrants. On April 26 this year, the Karkardooma Court declared him a proclaimed offender. He had started his career as a contractor supplying oil to Army cantonments across India, the statement said. During this period, he gained insider knowledge of the Army's functioning, which he later used to impersonate as a senior Army officer and lure unsuspecting people with promises of employment and housing benefits. "He moved to Delhi in 1987 and began posing as a Colonel. He conned several people on the pretext of recruitment in the Army and real estate opportunities through AWHO," the DCP said. A special team was formed which was tasked with tracking Gupta. Based on a tip-off, the team conducted surveillance and zeroed in on the old-age home in Patiala where he was living under a false identity. "He had changed his appearance and cut off ties with his family to stay under the radar. After confirming his identity, he was apprehended from the shelter," the officer added. During interrogation, Gupta admitted to his involvement in multiple cases of cheating, including three other fraud cases registered with the Shakarpur police station and the Crime Branch in Delhi, related to fake Army job offers. Police said Gupta's wife has passed away and he has two children. He had been leading a secluded life to evade arrest, shifting locations and using different mobile numbers
Hans India
4 days ago
- Hans India
Senior citizen defrauding people by impersonating Colonel arrested from Punjab
A senior citizen, who posed as a Colonel to cheat people on the pretext of providing them jobs in the Army and by offering flats in the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO), was arrested from a Punjab old-age home, police said on Sunday. The accused, identified as Sitaram Gupta alias Sitaram Singla, 77, who was evading trial in a case of cheating and forgery registered against him in Delhi, was arrested on Saturday. During interrogation after his arrest, Gupta revealed that he left his home, family members, and changed his appearance and mobile number to avoid his detection by law enforcement agencies, Delhi's Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime, Apooorva Gupta said. Gupta was wanted in connection with a 2007 fraud case of offering a flat and a shop in the AWHO. A case was registered against him on the complaint of Anil Nigam, a bank employee, who alleged that the accused had introduced himself as a Colonel rank officer posted in Delhi and offered a flat which was to be built by the AWHO. As per the complaint, Gupta also offered him to book a shop under the same scheme and took Rs 56,000 from him. Disappointed over not getting anything, Nigam filed a complaint at Vivek Vihar Police Station, and a case was registered there under relevant sections of cheating and forgery. After the investigation, the accused was arrested and later released on bail by the court. However, Gupta jumped bail and started living in an old-age home in Punjab. Initially, non-bailable warrants were issued against the accused, but he didn't appear before the court, after which he was declared a proclaimed offender. Police received a tip-off that Gupta was residing in an old-age home located in Punjab's Patiala by hiding his identity. Using advanced technical surveillance and human intelligence, a team comprising ASI Sanjeev, ASI Neeraj, HC Mintu Yadav, and HC Sawai from the ARSC, Shakarpur, Crime Branch, arrested him on Saturday. Born in Mandi Dabwali in Haryana's Sirsa in 1948, Gupta did his MA (History) and MA (Economics) from Panjab University and was reportedly a student of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when the latter was a professor there. "Sitaram Gupta, who worked as a contractor in the Indian Army, gained knowledge of various ranks of army officers and learned about the recruitment process of the Indian Army. He came to Delhi in 1987 and started working as an oil contractor. Besides work, he used to introduce himself as a Colonel of the Indian Army and started defrauding Delhiites. He took money from several youths on the pretext of giving them a job in the Indian Army," a statement issued by the police said. The accused was found involved in three cases of cheating and forgery registered at the Police Station Shakarpur and the Crime Branch in Delhi.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
November 9 tentatively set for demolition of Chander Kunj Twin Army Towers in Kochi
The district committee has set November 9, 2025 as the tentative date for the demolition of the twin towers of Chander Kunj Army Towers at Vytilla in Kochi, Kerala, and October 31, 2029 for handing over the newly built apartments. This was part of the elaborate four-phase plan the committee has drawn up for the proposed demolition and reconstruction of the twin towers starting with the evacuation of affected families by July 31. The district committee, with the District Collector as convener and representatives of the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO), residents association, experts and officials associated with the demolition and reconstruction, was formed in compliance with the Kerala High Court order dated February 3, 2025. Two months for the evacuation of the affected families marks the first phase of the process. The affected families will be given three weeks' notice ahead of evacuation. The committee has asked AWHO to release three months' rent based on the category of the apartment unit they have been holding as decided by the court. Besides, each family should be given ₹30,000 each towards shifting charges. AWHO has been asked to make the first payment to the apartment owners by June 17, 2025. The demolition of the towers will mark phase two. It would start with the invitation of tender for demolition on July 1, 2025, followed by its finalisation on August 7, 2025. Two months between August 16, 2025 and October 16, 2025, would be devoted to the preparation of the engineering design for the demolition. Demolition by implosion Preparation of structures for demolition by implosion would take two months from September 1 to November 1. November 9 has been set as the tentative date for demolition. Cleaning of the demolition site by removing the debris is likely to be completed in two months by January 9, 2026. Finalisation of the project management consultant (PMC) would mark the third phase. The tender for PMC would be invited on July 8 and finalised on August 2. This will be followed by the invitation and finalisation of tender for civil contractor in EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) Contract by December 7, 2025. The design would be finalised between January 9, 2026, and February 28, 2026, and approved by March 31, 2026. The six-month-long piling and foundation works between April 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026, would mark the beginning of the fourth phase. Reconstruction works would be finished in two-and-a-half years by July 31, 2029. Yard levelling, numbering of the apartments and their eventual handover would be completed in the next two months.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Dilapidated Chander Kunj Army Towers: Ernakulam collector submits detailed demolition and reconstruction plan before Kerala HC
Kochi: The Ernakulam collector has submitted a detailed affidavit before high court outlining the proposed plan of action for the demolition and reconstruction of the dilapidated Towers B and C of the Chander Kunj Army Towers at Silver Sand Island, Vyttila, with the project expected to be completed by Oct 31, 2029, at an estimated cost of Rs 211.49 crore. The affidavit that proposes a tentative demolition date of Nov 9, 2025 was filed in compliance with the directive of the bench of Justice C P Mohamed Nias in a batch of review petitions filed by residents of Chander Kunj, who sought clarity on an earlier single bench order directing the demolition and reconstruction of the towers, constructed in July 2018. District collector N S K Umesh informed HC that a stakeholders' meeting was held on April 22, during which representatives of the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) were directed to allot Rs 30,000 to each family currently residing in Towers B and C to cover relocation expenses. The residents were instructed to complete the shifting by July 31. The affidavit noted that the funds for Phase I, covering eviction and rehabilitation, can be allocated to AWHO only after HC fixes the rent payable to flat owners. Since 82 flat owners have opted for the buy-back option, the collector has forwarded a letter to the AWHO director requesting discussions to finalise the terms. During the meeting, the town planner informed that the building rules in force at the time of the original construction have since been revised, creating several impediments for reconstruction under the new norms. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo As per the collector's four-phase plan, the shifting of occupants will happen within the next two months, followed by demolition over the next six months, with the site being cleared by Jan 9. Phase IV, involving piling and foundation work, will commence on April 1 and is expected to be completed in six months. The entire work can be completed within 4.5 years. Two sub-committees constituted to monitor the project, comprising the PWD executive engineer, a structural expert and a resident of Towers B and C, will submit regular reports to the collector. The report also notes that since the water, gas and electricity connections to Towers A, B and C are interlinked, the possible impact of the demolition on Tower A must also be assessed.
