Photo of ‘American friend in Delhi jail’ used to dupe Pune man of Rs 22 lakh

3 min readPuneJun 18, 2026 12:01 PM IST

According to Pune police, the sequence of events started in January last year when the victim received a WhatsApp message purportedly from his American friend on January 10, 2025, stating that he was nabbed at Pune airport in a money-laundering case.

A 90-year-old Pune man continued sending money to cyber fraudsters for months even after approaching the police, convinced by a message that his American friend had been arrested and a photograph purportedly showing him handcuffed inside a Delhi jail.

Investigations proved that the victim transferred Rs 22,40,200 into multiple bank accounts through 27 online transactions between January 10, 2025, and March 27, 2026.

According to the police, the sequence of events started in January last year when the victim received a WhatsApp message purportedly from his American friend on January 10, 2025, stating that he was nabbed at Pune airport in a money-laundering case. After the police failed to take appropriate steps in a complaint lodged in April last year, the elderly man, residing at Salunke Vihar with his son and daughter, has again lodged a second complaint at the Wanavdi police station on Tuesday.

As per the FIR, the message contained an image of his American friend’s passport.

A month later, the man again received a WhatsApp message from a fraudster who identified himself as “Komal” from the Customs Department in Mumbai, saying the American friend had transferred $2.5 million into his bank account.

Elderly man gets a message from ‘Customs officer’

The “Customs officer” asked the complainant to release the money so that his friend could be freed from money laundering charges, and subsequently, he transferred some money to different bank accounts.

However, the victim grew suspicious when the fraudsters started demanding more money and lodged a complaint at the cyber police station on April 12, 2025, the FIR stated.

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Five months later, the victim again received a fraudulent message from a person posing as a Delhi jail officer who identified himself as Rajiv Sharma. The message said that the American friend was lodged in a Delhi jail and was suffering from medical problems, the police said.

The victim also received a photograph showing his friend handcuffed in a prison, alongside a uniformed police officer. The elderly man, who became convinced and believed that his friend really needed help, transferred money into different bank accounts over a period of several months, as per the instructions of the ‘jail official’.

Rs 4 lakh sought to send his friend back to US

He then received a message saying his American friend has been released from jail, and another Rs 4 lakh cash is required for making arrangements to send him back to America.

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This time, the victim refused to give any money and filed a complaint of cheating with the cyber police station. The police recorded his statement on Tuesday, and the case was transferred to the Wanavdi police station for investigation.

The police said they are probing the phone numbers and bank accounts used by the cyber criminals, and also whether the image of the American friend was AI-generated.

Police Inspector Kailas Daberao, who is probing the case, said that no suspects were identified after the victim lodged his previous complaint last year. The unidentified cyber fraudsters have been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 308(2), 204, 319(2), 318(4), 3(5), and Section 66 (d) of the Information Technology Act, he said.

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Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs.

Professional Profile

Specialization:

He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation.

Key Beats:

His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Background:

Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape.

Awards and Recognition:

He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve.

He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry.

1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases

“Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025).

Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links.

“The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025)

Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas.

“How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025)

After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital.

“A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025).

Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train.

“No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025)

Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence.

2. Inter-state firearms racket

"Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025)

"Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025)

Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh

3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams

“Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025)

An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country

‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025)

Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds

Signature Style: The Investigative Hit

Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers.

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