Posing as devoted caregiver, man siphons off Rs 1.5 lakh: Police

New Delhi: For months, 26-year-old Shubham Jain posed as a devoted caregiver to his paralysed brother-in-law in Burari, north Delhi, helping with medication, daily chores and hospital visits after the tuition teacher suffered a brain stroke earlier this year. Police allege the act concealed a fraud that drained the family of nearly Rs 1.5 lakh.

The case surfaced on May 13 after the Burari-based tuition centre owner filed a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal over unauthorised transactions from his family’s bank accounts.

Investigators said the tuition fees were deposited into the bank account of the complainant’s mother. The alleged fraud came to light when business partners flagged suspicious withdrawals made without the family’s knowledge.

Police examined the complainant’s mobile phone but found no malware or suspicious applications. The probe then shifted to the money trail. Investigators found that a portion of the amount had been transferred to a bank account held by one Atam Jeet Singh. Further scrutiny of bank records and call detail records allegedly showed that the money was subsequently routed to Jain.

DCP (north) Raja Banthia said a key lead emerged when investigators found that Rs 4,000 from the same account had been paid to a travel agency for a vehicle booking from Delhi to Manikaran on May 9. “The booking was made in Jain’s name,” he said.

Police said Jain had been living with the complainant’s family since Jan and gradually gained their trust. During interrogation, he allegedly admitted he was unemployed and had falsely claimed to work for a reputed company, also fabricating frequent foreign travel for work. Investigators said he used fake chat messages with a supposed employer to reinforce his credibility with the family.

Jain was arrested on May 20.