CBI uncovers Gang extorting huge money from Central Govt officers

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has identified a group led by conman Sadiq Qureshi that has been extorting enormous quantities of money from Central Government officials in Nagpur for several years, a report said.

Qureshi was detained by the CBI on November 2, 2023 after attempting to extort money from a Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer of Central Railway in Nagpur. During the effort, he pretended to be a Personnel Assistant to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the CBI Nagpur.

According to the investigation, Qureshi and three associates were actively involved in extortion activities targeting officials from Indian Railways, Western Coalfields Ltd, Income Tax, Manganese Ore India Ltd, State-run Petroleum businesses, and other organisations. The crew, lead by Qureshi, a person impersonating a CBI official, a driver, and another impersonating Qureshi’s PA, would threaten Central Government officers with impending CBI action. They used this fear to extract large sums of money from these officials.

Investigation revealed that the group would buttress their accusations by using FIRs (downloaded from the CBI’s website) and bogus visiting cards. They even pretended to be part in “secret inquiries” conducted by the CBI against government officials. According to the report, Qureshi’s colleagues, including the bogus CBI official, driver, and person serving as Qureshi’s PA, would be arrested shortly because the CBI has good evidence against them.

The fraudulent gang duped officials into covering Qureshi’s expenses by promising immunity from CBI action in exchange for money. This includes paying for hotel stays in Nagpur’s five-star hotels and organising aeroplane tickets through a travel agency that also handled train ticket arrangements. The CBI examined Qureshi’s Call Detail Records and identified government personnel who were associated with him.

Sadiq Qureshi’s bail application was denied by the Special CBI court. According to the prosecution, Qureshi was a well-known conman who had fooled countless government officials in recent years. The judge denied his bail plea after hearing the arguments and checking the evidence.