A former hotel manager, a former bar singer, an ex-banker and three unemployed youths were allegedly brought together in a carefully staged operation designed to make victims believe they were facing a genuine CBI raid.
The alleged modus operandi, pieced together from the Prashant Vihar incident and the investigation that followed, shows how the gang attempted to turn an ordinary group of impostors into a convincing federal raiding team. The gang allegedly did not choose its victims at random. Police allege that he provided the gang with Pratham’s address and information about possible cash and valuables. Instead, a purported CBI notice was sent to Pratham’s father’s mobile phone. The message was later deleted, but the family had managed to take a screenshot. Police examined the screenshot and suspected that the notice was forged. The Prashant Vihar family approached the police after the alleged raid.
The investigation led police to a 63-year-old former banker, Kuldeep Sharma, who had worked with SBI and ING Vysya Bank. An FIR was registered at Prashant Vihar police station on August 19, and teams were formed to identify the suspects. Sharma had previously handled the banking affairs of the complainant, Pratham Aggarwal, and was therefore familiar with his family and financial circumstances.
Asifa met Sharma at a family wedding around eight months ago, according to police. Investigators allege that after Asifa and Pooja discussed their ability to conduct covert “raids”, Sharma offered information about a potential target.
Threats when the family asked for a warrant
The sudden arrival of a large team, combined with CBI-branded clothing and official-looking IDs, was allegedly intended to prevent the family from immediately realising that the officers were impostors. The family did not simply comply. When Pratham and his mother asked the alleged officers to show proper authorisation or a search warrant, the group allegedly became threatening and intimidating. With more people watching the proceedings, the group could no longer rely on the family remaining isolated and intimidated. The alleged officers then claimed that a formal notice issued to Pratham’s father was in their vehicle and left on the pretext of retrieving it.
