Delhi Police on Tuesday have arrested a 29-year-old B.Tech dropout, Kaushik Raj, for allegedly defrauding numerous individuals out of lakhs of rupees by selling counterfeit tickets to an upcoming concert by popular singer Diljit Dosanjh, scheduled for October 26 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan, Raj used the proceeds from his fraudulent activities to purchase luxury items, including an iPhone worth ₹1.35 lakh and an Apple Watch costing ₹50,000. He also traveled to Bengaluru, Goa, and Mumbai, indulging in lavish spending at clubs and hotels.
The case came to light when a resident of Neb Sarai filed a complaint after discovering that he had been sold 69 fake tickets for the concert. The complainant, who was referred to Raj by a friend from Chandigarh, initially purchased five tickets, which he received via email. Encouraged by the first transaction, he later bought additional tickets for friends and family, accumulating a total expenditure of ₹4.76 lakh by September 11.
Upon attempting to verify the tickets through the concert’s helpline, the complainant discovered they were counterfeit and promptly reported the matter to the police. Following the lodging of the FIR, investigators learned that Raj had also cheated individuals in Delhi, Chandigarh, and West Bengal before switching off his mobile phone and fleeing the city.
Raj reportedly used the stolen money to fund his trips and purchases, with police tracking his financial transactions revealing ₹4.61 lakh transferred through 16 separate bank transactions. His whereabouts were initially traced to Bengaluru, prompting a police team to be dispatched. However, he was ultimately apprehended at Nizamuddin Railway Station.
Upon arrest, Raj confessed to his crimes, and the police recovered a mobile phone used in the fraudulent activities, along with the iPhone and Apple Watch purchased with the ill-gotten funds. Five debit cards linked to his account were also seized.
Further investigation has revealed that Raj, originally from Muzaffarpur in Bihar and residing in Uttam Nagar, had dropped out of college in his second year of a Bachelor of Technology program. He subsequently began working as a freelancer in event management, which likely provided him the skills to manipulate and sell fake tickets.
The police are continuing their investigation into the case, as more victims may emerge and additional fraudulent activities may be uncovered.
