A man who allegedly duped a Delhi resident of Rs 95 lakh in a land scam and later reinvented himself as a philanthropist in Haridwar to evade arrest has been arrested, police said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Dharmander Aggarwal (50), had completely severed ties with his family and community and began living under a new identity at an ashram in Haridwar, presenting himself as a philanthropist in order to escape detection.
“The case dates back to November 2015 when Balesh Jain alleged that Aggarwal approached him with an offer to sell a residential plot in Pratap Vihar, Ghaziabad, claiming to be its absolute owner,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Vikram Singh said.
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The two agreed on a deal for Rs 1.05 crore, of which Jain paid Rs 95 lakh through three cheques, the police officer said.
An agreement to sell was executed at the SDM Court in Preet Vihar in May 2016. It was agreed that the remaining Rs 10 lakh would be paid at the time of handing over possession and execution of title documents should be completed by December 2019, he said.
Despite repeated attempts by the complainant to complete the transaction, Aggarwal allegedly delayed proceedings, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In July 2022, the complainant sent a legal notice demanding execution of the sale deed. In response, Aggarwal allegedly demanded an additional Rs 40 lakh and issued threats, leading to the registration of a case in 2023 under IPC sections 406 (Criminal breach of trust) and 420 (Cheating) at Laxmi Nagar Police Station,” the DCP added.
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When he failed to join the investigation despite repeated notices, he was declared a proclaimed offender on July 15, 2025.
On July 16, police traced Aggarwal to Bairagi Camp in Haridwar. He was found living in an ashram, maintaining a low profile and presenting himself as someone engaged in social service.
During interrogation, Aggarwal admitted to deliberately evading law enforcement by frequently changing his appearance, mobile numbers and addresses and severing ties with family and others, police informed.
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