Actor Disha Patani's father, promised of government post, duped of Rs 25 lakh

Jagdish Patani was duped out of Rs 25 lakh by a five-member gang, who promised him a government position in exchange for the money but later threatened him when he demanded a refund.

In Short

• Scammers promised high-ranking government post to Jagdish Patani
• Rs 25 lakh taken through cash and bank transfers
• When he demanded a refund, they threatened him

Jagdish Singh Patani, the father of actor Disha Patani and a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, was allegedly defrauded of Rs 25 lakh by a group of scammers who had promised him a high-ranking position in a government commission, police said on Friday.

An FIR has been registered in Uttar Pradesh against five individuals--Shivendra Pratap Singh, Diwakar Garg, Acharya Jayaprakash from Juna Akhara, Preeti Garg, and one unidentified person--on charges of cheating, criminal intimidation, and extortion, officials said.

According to the complaint, Jagdish Patani, a resident of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, alleged that Shivendra Pratap Singh, an acquaintance, introduced him to Diwakar Garg and Acharya Jayaprakash. The accused reportedly claimed to have strong political connections and assured Patani of a position as chairman, vice-chairman, or another prestigious post in a government commission.

After gaining Patani’s trust, the group allegedly took Rs 25 lakh from him--Rs 5 lakh in cash and Rs 20 lakh through transfers to three different bank accounts, news agency PTI reported. When no progress was made over three months, they initially promised to return the money with interest, the complaint said.

However, when Patani demanded the money back, they allegedly issued threats and behaved aggressively, police said.

Patani further claimed that the conmen misled him by introducing an accomplice, posing as an "officer on special duty" named Himanshu, to reinforce their false claims of political connections.

Suspecting a larger fraud, Patani lodged a complaint with the police, leading to the registration of the FIR.

The accused are yet to be arrested, and police said that efforts are underway to apprehend them and ensure strict action is taken.