Delhi Police nabs man in apple consignment fraud case after 10-year hunt in Kashmir

Delhi Police has arrested a 38-year-old man from Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag for allegedly duping a Delhi-based man of more than Rs 5 lakh on the pretext of supplying Kashmiri apple consignments, an official said on Friday.

The accused, identified as Istaq Ahmedar (38), was on the run for nearly a decade, continuously changing locations and mobile numbers to evade arrest, police said.

The matter came to light in 2016 when a case was registered at the Mahendra Park police station under IPC sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy), alleging that Ahmedar and his associate induced the victim into a fraudulent business deal related to apple consignments.

“The accused allegedly collected Rs 5,08,700 from the complainant on different dates after assuring him that apple consignments would be supplied. However, neither the consignments were delivered nor was the money returned,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.

During the investigation, the accused absconded, prompting authorities to announce a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for information leading to his arrest.

“The task of tracing Ahmedar was assigned to the crime branch due to the complexity and sensitivity of the case,” the officer said.

A team was formed and carried out extensive technical analysis and field verification in Jammu and Kashmir, including visits to Anantnag to verify old addresses and re-establish contact with people previously associated with the accused through his fruit business and transport network.

Extensive ground verification and discreet inquiries were conducted with former associates, transporters and local contacts. The team also analysed several mobile numbers indirectly linked to the accused, Yadav said.

Ahmedar was finally apprehended on May 13 from the Fruit and Vegetable Market in Anantnag, following sustained technical surveillance and source-based information.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted that he had come in contact with the complainant in 2011 through a common acquaintance and later entered into business dealings involving apple consignments from Kashmir.

Ahmedar disclosed that after disputes arose regarding payments, he intentionally stopped communicating with the complainant and severed all contact, police said.

“The accused further revealed that to evade arrest, he shifted from his original residence and started living in another area of Anantnag while continuing small-scale wholesale business activities,” the officer added.

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He also admitted to using sophisticated methods to avoid detection, including frequently changing SIM cards, avoiding prolonged use of a single mobile number and operating through secondary contacts while distancing himself from his earlier social network and residence.

Further investigation in the case is underway, he added.