77-year-old fraudster impersonating army colonel held after 18-year manhunt - the statesman

The Delhi Police apprehended a 77-year-old fraudster who has been absconding after duping gullible citizens for years with promises of jobs and real estate under Army’s welfare housing

schemes impersonating an army colonel. The arrest of the septuagenarian, Sitaram Gupta, alias Sitaram Singla, from Patiala, Punjab marked the end of an 18-year manhunt. Advertisement The

accused, a native of Mandi Dabwali in Haryana, settled in Mansa, Punjab. He had been evading trial in a cheating and forgery case registered against him at the Vivek Vihar police station,

Delhi, in 2007. He was declared a proclaimed offender by the Karkardooma Court in 2025 after repeatedly failing to appear for trial. Advertisement “Gupta had earlier secured bail but

absconded later, changing his identity and taking refuge in an old-age home in Patiala,” Apoorva Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), said. It was further revealed that he once

studied economics at the Panjab University under the tutelage of the late Dr. Manmohan Singh, former prime minister of India. Armed with knowledge of military procedures gained during his

stint as an oil contractor for the Army in the 1980s, Gupta began masquerading as a colonel. He exploited this persona to extract money from Delhi residents, promising them jobs in the

Indian Army and allotments in Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) projects. One of his victims, Anil Nigam, a bank employee, lodged a complaint in 2007 after Gupta took Rs 56,000 as an

advance for a flat and shop that never existed. During an inquiry into the case, the receipts provided to the complainant turned out to be forged. A case under IPC Sections 419, 420, 468,

471, and 120B was subsequently filed leading to Gupta’s arrest – but not his trial. “After jumping bail, he severed ties with his family, changed his appearance, and used different phone

numbers to remain undetected,” said a police official involved in the operation. The DCP stated that Gupta is also a convict in three other cases that involved similar frauds in Delhi,

including impersonation and job racketeering. “Despite his age, Gupta remained a cunning and manipulative operator. He exploited public trust in the Army, used his academic background for

credibility, and lived a dual life for years.” Further investigation is being carried out in the case by a police team to determine if more victims or accomplices were involved in this case,

the DCP mentioned.  Advertisement