According to police, five people, including two employees of the Union Health Ministry, have been detained for allegedly defrauding victims out of Rs 15 crore under the guise of giving them work-related directives to transport Covid vaccinations to other states.
They said that the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police had arrested Hermenn Sabherwal (age 43), Govind Tulsian (age 52), Diprana Tiwari (age 32), Trilok Singh (age 53), and Mrityunjoy Roy (age 44).
The Health Ministry employs Singh as a Multi Tasking Staff on a permanent basis, according to the police, whereas Tiwari is an MTS on a contract basis.
“Roy was on deputation with Minister of Home Affairs from SSB and was a reception officer in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at Nirman Bhawan,” a police statement said.
The victims claimed they had been defrauded of Rs 15 crore under the guise of receiving work orders for the shipment of Covid vaccines, and Sunil Kaushik and others made this allegation in a number of complaints, according to the police, who then launched an investigation.
According to investigators, the victims described the identical method of operation in each allegation.
All of the complainants, according to the police, alleged that they were forced to sit in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s conference room in order to carry out the work order for the transportation of Covid vaccinations.
Following a preliminary investigation, the case was filed, and EOW began its investigation.
Six people in total have filed complaints, but they claim that the sum that has been stolen totals Rs 15 crore.
According to Ravindra Singh Yadav, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime), the inquiry showed that the accused approached the complainants in May of last year and offered them ministry work order.
According to police, the accused also took the victims to the Union Health Ministry, which is housed inside the Niman Bhavan complex in the heart of Delhi, to win the trust of the complainants.
“The accused also impersonated themselves as officers of Ministry and obtained signatures of the complainants on forged work orders. In lieu of such forged work orders, they obtained Rs 15 crore from the complainants,” he said.
The officer claimed that once the accused’s bank accounts and other information were examined, it was discovered that they had received a sizable cash deposit.
“Harmenn Sabherwal was arrested from Agartala, where he was hiding in a hotel while other accused were arrested from Delhi. The role of other accused is under probe,” he added.
Sabherwal, who holds an MBA, ran an HR business that experienced losses. Police claimed that Tulsian was in charge of a factory that produced stabilisers.
(With inputs from PTI)
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