In a major breakthrough against white-collar crime, the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has arrested three individuals—Mr. Ratnakar (40), Ms. Anita Upadhyay (35), and Mr. Saurabh Singh (30)—for allegedly defrauding vendors through a meticulously planned fake tender scam using a fictitious government scheme.
The accused reportedly created a fraudulent entity named Rashtriya Gramin Saksharta Mission (RGSM) and misrepresented it as a Central Government initiative. Through this trust, they duped vendors by posing as Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and issuing fake tenders for the supply of school uniforms to underprivileged children.
Bogus Bureaucracy: Forged Documents, Fake Letterheads, and False Government Claims
According to Additional Commissioner of Police (EOW), Ms. Amrutha Guguloth, the gang operated a fraudulent website and published tenders using forged letterheads claiming RGSM to be “a Government of India undertaking.”
To further gain credibility, the trio impersonated senior government officials and executed fake agreements with vendors. Once goods were supplied, they extracted large sums as commission and failed to make any legitimate payments.
Massive Financial Losses to Vendors
One complainant, who filed the initial case, reported a loss of Rs. 1.5 crore in goods and was coerced into paying Rs. 2 crore as commission for a tender allotment. The total value of the scam is estimated at over Rs. 3.5 crore, making it one of the largest recent frauds involving fake government schemes.
Raids and Recovery: Stolen Assets Seized Across States
Following intense surveillance and inter-state raids, Mr. Saurabh Singh was apprehended from Lucknow on September 15. His arrest follows earlier detentions of Mr. Ratnakar and Ms. Anita Upadhyay in July.
Authorities have recovered:
- 45,000 school uniforms worth Rs. 1.5 crore
- Rs. 2.79 lakh in cash
- A gold chain and gold ring
- A car purchased using crime proceeds
Additionally, two flats purchased with the fraudulent earnings have been identified for attachment under relevant provisions.
A Pattern of Crime: Multiple Cases Registered Nationwide
The investigation reveals that this was not the trio’s first fraudulent operation:
- Mr. Ratnakar has a record of over 10 criminal cases including cheating, forgery, and even rape in Uttar Pradesh.
- Ms. Anita, who was the trust’s signatory, handled bank operations and fund transfers.
- Mr. Saurabh faces criminal cases in Ayodhya under the Gangsters Act and for forgery.
Six FIRs have been registered against them in Delhi alone, with similar cases pending in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
Government Advisory and Vendor Vigilance
This incident underscores the need for stricter vendor verification protocols and awareness regarding legitimate government schemes. Authorities have urged vendors to thoroughly cross-check credentials, websites, and tendering agencies before entering into agreements.
The state and central enforcement agencies are now coordinating to track similar fraudulent activities across the country to prevent such impersonations in the future.
