The police aim to uncover the wider network involved in producing fraudulent passports, GPAs, and identity papers used to target NRI-owned properties
A 31-year-old man allegedly linked to a sophisticated international property fraud targeting a U.S.-based NRI couple has been arrested at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The accused, Lakhwinder Singh from Punjab, was detained upon arrival from London, ending a years-long effort by police to track down members of a global forgery network.
The case dates back to January 2023, when an NRI living in the United States emailed Gurgaon police after discovering that two of his properties in Sector 31 were being sold without his knowledge. The alarm was raised when a local property dealer informed him that he had already paid an advance of ₹15 lakh to the complainant’s “son”—a person who did not exist—and was preparing to transfer another ₹1 crore. The complainant, who has no children, immediately recognized the fraud and contacted authorities.
Investigations later revealed a meticulously crafted plan. According to officials, the fraudsters created fake passports for the NRI couple in France and even invented a fictitious son with supporting identity documents. Using these forged papers, the gang managed to have a fraudulent General Power of Attorney (GPA) registered in Obwalden, Switzerland.
The document, routed through an embassy, was subsequently recorded with Gurgaon authorities, enabling the criminals to initiate property transfers at the HSVP office in 2021
Police say Singh attempted to sell the properties multiple times between 2021 and 2022 using permissions obtained through the forged GPA. He then traveled to the U.K. in October 2022 on a dependent visa and remained there until his deportation in September 2025 after his visa expired. Prior raids at his residence revealed his absence, prompting police to issue a lookout notice that eventually led to his arrest at IGI Airport.
During preliminary questioning, Singh reportedly disclosed that another accomplice impersonated the fake “son” and helped prepare forged documents abroad.
The police now aim to uncover the wider network involved in producing fraudulent passports, GPAs, and identity papers used to target NRI-owned properties. Singh will be presented in court for custodial interrogation as investigators move to identify more members of the international fraud ring.
