The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police has arrested Prafulla Kumar Nayak, a key suspect who had been on the run for nearly three years in connection with a Rs15 crore fraud case. Nayak is accused of impersonating an officer from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and defrauding multiple victims during the pandemic.
The case dates back to 2022 when Sunil Kaushik filed a complaint, claiming he was cheated out of Rs4 crore by Nayak, who promised him work orders for the transportation of Covid-19 vaccines. As investigations progressed, it was revealed that Nayak used a similar tactic to deceive other victims, with four additional complaints leading to a total fraud of over Rs15 crore.
In May 2021, Nayak arranged meetings with victims at Nirman Bhawan, the headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. By issuing forged work orders and exploiting illicit access to the ministry building through a bribed employee, Nayak gained the trust of his targets.
In 2022, eight other individuals were arrested in connection with the scam, including the ringleader, Hermenn Sabherwal. Ministry employees, such as a reception officer and two multi-tasking staff members, were also apprehended for their roles in the fraudulent scheme.
The arrest of Nayak marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the Covid-19 vaccine transportation scam.
