Ludhiana: 2 booked for posing as scribes, duping British national of ₹ 1L

Two Men Arrested in Ludhiana for Deceiving British Woman with ₹1.2 Lakh Extortion Scheme

Ludhiana - Police in Jagraon have charged two individuals with deceiving a British national by impersonating scribes and extorting ₹1.2 lakh. The suspects, identified as Naseeb Singh (also known as Naseeb Virk) and Sonu Sherpuri, are residents of Sherpur Kalan village.

Complainant's Allegations

A 39-year-old woman from Nangal village in Dehlon reported to authorities that she was engaged in a civil dispute under the jurisdiction of the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) in Jagraon. She claimed a conflict arose between the parties during a court hearing on June 3, prompting her to seek media attention.

"The two men approached me, claiming to be media representatives, and gained my trust," the complainant stated. "They assured me they could use their influence to expedite action on my case, so I gave them ₹1 lakh."

On the following day, she filed a formal complaint with the senior superintendent of police (SSP) in Ludhiana Rural, which was forwarded to Jagraon police station. Days later, the accused returned with a new demand, asking for an additional ₹5 lakh. When she could not immediately pay, they convinced her to hand over ₹20,000 as a partial settlement.

Police Registering Charges

Sub-inspector Khushpinder Singh, who is handling the investigation, confirmed that a case has been filed under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The charges include Sections 308(2) (extortion), 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 74 (assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation).

Further inquiries are ongoing to uncover more details about the scheme. The woman reportedly realized the men were not genuine journalists and took steps to report them to the police.