A cyber fraud case involving the hacked WhatsApp account of former Director General of Police Kanwar Nirmal Singh has led to the arrest of a man from Bihar. Police in Panchkula said the accused managed to gain control of the former top cop’s WhatsApp account and used it to cheat one of his former gunmen of ₹40,000 by sending a fake emergency request.
The accused, identified as Rajesh Kumar from Nalanda district in Bihar, was arrested after investigators traced the fraud through technical evidence and bank records. Police said the case highlights how cybercriminals are increasingly targeting high-profile individuals to exploit their contacts and carry out financial fraud.
According to the complaint, the incident began on March 9 when Kanwar Nirmal Singh received a call from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be calling about a parcel delivery and told him that a code needed to be dialed from his phone to receive the package. Believing the call to be genuine, he followed the instructions.
However, the code allowed the fraudster to gain access to his WhatsApp account and register the number on another device. Once they secured control of the account, the scammers started sending messages to people listed in Singh’s contact list, claiming there was an urgent need for money.
One of the recipients of the message was Gulshan Kumar, a police officer who had earlier served as the former DGP’s gunman. Trusting the message because it came from Singh’s WhatsApp account, he transferred ₹40,000 to the bank account shared in the message. It was only later that he realized the request had been sent by fraudsters and not by the former police chief.
Following the complaint, a cheating case was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Panchkula. During the investigation, police traced the bank account used in the fraud to Rajesh Kumar in Bihar. After tracking digital evidence and financial transactions, the police team arrested him on March 29.
Amarinder Singh said the police also managed to recover the entire ₹40,000 from the accused. During questioning, investigators found that the accused had allegedly rented out his bank account to cybercriminals who used it to collect money obtained through fraud.
The accused has been sent to judicial custody while police continue to search for other individuals involved in the racket, who are currently absconding.
Police officials have also issued a public advisory following the incident. They warned citizens not to dial unknown codes or share OTPs and verification codes with anyone over the phone. Officials also advised that if someone you know suddenly asks for money on WhatsApp or any other messaging platform, it is important to call the person directly and confirm the request before transferring any funds.
Kanwar Nirmal Singh served as the Haryana Director General of Police starting July 1, 2005, after moving from his previous role as DGP (Prisons). He retired from the post in 2006 after decades of service in the police force.
Cyber experts say cases of WhatsApp impersonation scams have increased significantly in recent years. Fraudsters often hack accounts or clone numbers to send urgent money requests to contacts, relying on trust and quick reactions from victims.