Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 11: A 33-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly cheating a senior cardiologist at a south Delhi hospital of over Rs 6.69 lac by impersonating an Army Cantonment official seeking medical consultations for defence personnel, police said on Thursday.

The accused, Jalaluddin alias Jallu from Alwar, Rajasthan, has at least seven cases of cheating and forgery registered against him across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Police said he even made video calls using pre-recorded visuals of defence personnel to win the victim’s trust.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan said the doctor from Apollo Hospital received a call on August 30 from a man claiming to be arranging medical consultations for 25 Army personnel at Rs 1,500 each. Persuaded by the ruse, the cardiologist transferred Rs 6.69 lac in four instalments from his and his wife’s bank accounts.

Investigations revealed that Jalaluddin used Rs 6 lac to repay a car loan and Rs 70,000 to settle credit card dues. Police recovered the car purchased with the proceeds, three mobile phones, and Rs 70,000 frozen in a fixed deposit linked to credit card payment. The seized phones were linked to at least 26 other complaints on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.

A police team tracked the accused to Khairthal in Alwar through technical analysis and surveillance. Further investigation is underway.