Three Arrested In ₹17 Lakh Stock Investment Fraud Targeting Delhi Shopkeeper

Three men have been arrested and a woman detained by Delhi Police for their alleged involvement in a cyber fraud racket that cheated a grocery shop owner in northwest Delhi of over ₹17 lakh under the guise of stock market investments.

The case surfaced in January after Yogesh Kumar, who runs a grocery store in Shalimar Bagh, filed a complaint stating that he had been added to a social media group promoting lucrative stock trading opportunities. The fraudsters allegedly assured him of high returns and provided a registration link, after which he was instructed to transfer money into multiple bank accounts.

According to police, the victim invested approximately ₹17.10 lakh. When he later tried to withdraw his funds, he was allegedly asked to deposit additional money, prompting suspicion and leading him to approach authorities. An e-FIR was registered on January 18.

The accused have been identified as Inderjeet, Pawan Kumar and Gaurav Tyagi. A woman, Mahima Sharma, has been bound down as part of the investigation.

During the probe, investigators conducted a financial trail analysis and found that the defrauded amount was allegedly routed through a mule bank account linked to a firm operated by Inderjeet. Officials said the transaction pattern showed large credits followed by swift transfers through gaming apps and other digital platforms to obscure the money trail.

Police alleged that Inderjeet provided his firm’s current account to the cyber fraud network in exchange for commission. Pawan Kumar is suspected to have acted as an intermediary in arranging bank accounts, while Gaurav Tyagi allegedly handled coordination and operational aspects. The woman’s role is still under investigation.

Authorities have recovered three mobile phones reportedly used in carrying out the fraud. Further investigation is ongoing.