Delhi Police bust fake CBI raid gang that extorted residents across cities

Delhi Police have cracked a sophisticated gang that impersonated Central Bureau of Investigation officers to extort money and valuables, arresting seven people including a former bar singer, an ex-bank employee, and a woman who once ran a hotel. The organised crime syndicate had been operating across Delhi and Mumbai for the past three to four months, terrorising residents with fake raids styled after the 2013 Bollywood film "Special 26."

The racket came to light after a brazen attempt at the home of businessman Pratham Agarwal in Prashant Vihar, Rohini, on the night of August 11, 2026. Around 10 pm, eight people—six men and two women—dressed in black arrived at his residence, flashed fake identity cards, and demanded to conduct a CBI raid. When the family asked for a search warrant and proper documentation, the imposters threatened them and laid siege to the house for nearly 90 minutes. They fled only after neighbours intervened, claiming their notice was in their vehicle. The gang had also sent a forged CBI notice to the victim's father's mobile phone, which the family wisely preserved as evidence.

Police registered an FIR on August 19 under sections 308(2) for extortion, 351(2) for criminal intimidation, and 61(2) for criminal conspiracy of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The seven arrested are Asifa (29) from Jammu and Kashmir who operated a hotel in Rajendra Place, Pooja Agarwal a former bar and restaurant singer, Kuldeep Sharma (63) an ex-bank employee, Chandar Prakash Sharma (38) a former electronics repairman, Shubham alias Golu (25), Rajveer Singh (21), and Nitin Sharma (30).

Deputy Commissioner of Police Rohini Shashank Jaiswal said the case was solved through CCTV footage, electronic evidence, technical surveillance, and analysis of the fake notice. Investigators discovered that Asifa and Pooja masterminded the operation, while Kuldeep provided intelligence about the target home and potential cash through his banking connections with the victim. The gang members were paid per raid, and police recovered CBI-monogrammed clothing, photographs of fake ID cards, and eight mobile phones containing images and videos of the accused dressed as government officials. Authorities suspect the gang also posed as Enforcement Directorate officers in their criminal operations.