New Delhi. The Dwarka district police’s vehicle theft prevention unit has arrested a 67-year-old man who had allegedly been absconding for nearly a year in a land fraud case. The accused has been identified as Brahm Swaroop Bhardwaj. According to police, Bhardwaj, along with his male and female associates, allegedly cheated a retired pharmacist from Tihar Jail of around ₹1.75 crore by promising to sell him different plots of land and using forged documents to make the transactions appear genuine. A reward of ₹50,000 had been announced for information leading to his arrest.
According to police, the victim is a senior citizen who retired from government service. During 2024-25, Bhardwaj and his associates allegedly approached him with offers for several land deals. The accused allegedly claimed that different plots were available for purchase and persuaded the victim to pay money for the proposed transactions.
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Investigators allege that forged documents were used to make the purported land deals appear legitimate. The victim was allegedly shown land-related documents to establish credibility before being asked to make payments in different stages. According to police, the accused targeted the victim’s savings accumulated over several years from his pension. The alleged fraud came to light when the victim began discovering discrepancies in the land transactions.
After realising that he had allegedly been defrauded, the victim filed a complaint at Ranhola police station in 2025. Police subsequently registered a case and began investigating the allegations. During the investigation, officers gathered information about the identities and activities of the suspects. However, the accused allegedly remained on the run and changed their locations to avoid arrest.
Police obtained non-bailable warrants from the court against the absconding accused. As the arrests remained pending, efforts to trace them were intensified. According to police, a reward of ₹50,000 each was announced on September 3, 2026, for information leading to the arrest of five wanted accused. Following this, special surveillance was launched to track their movements.
The Dwarka vehicle theft prevention unit began a focused operation to locate Bhardwaj. Police teams monitored his movements through technical and local surveillance for around seven days and gathered information about his possible locations and travel patterns. During this process, investigators received information that he was in Sonipat, Haryana.
Acting on the information, a police team arrested Bhardwaj in Sonipat on September 13. Investigators are now questioning him about the alleged land fraud, his associates and the handling of the money allegedly obtained from the victim.
The investigation is also examining the forged documents allegedly used in the transactions. Police are trying to establish the actual status of the plots that the accused allegedly claimed to be selling and determine how the documents were prepared, obtained or used.
Investigators are also examining communications among the accused, financial transactions and the movement of the money allegedly received from the victim. Police are continuing efforts to arrest the other accused named in the case.
The arrest of Bhardwaj is expected to help investigators trace the remaining members of the alleged group and establish the complete sequence of events in the case, which had remained under investigation for nearly a year.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
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