Punjab Ex-IG Amar Singh Chahal Critical after Alleged ‘Suicide’ Attempt Linked to ₹8.1 Crore Online Investment Scam
Moneylife Digital Team 23 December 2025
Punjab's former inspector general of police (IG) Amar Singh Chahal is in critical condition after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot injury at his residence in Patiala, with police probing allegations that he was defrauded of ₹8.1 crore in a sophisticated online investment scam.
 
Mr Chahal, a 1990-batch officer from the Indian Police Service (IPS), was found injured at his home in Patiala on Monday afternoon after one of his friends alerted the police, saying the former IG had sent him a message expressing distress. Senior officers rushed to the spot and shifted Mr Chahal to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. According to doctors, his condition remains critical, with the next 24 hours being crucial.
 
Police recovered a 12-page handwritten note from the scene, in which Mr Chahal described how he was allegedly cheated by cyber fraudsters operating under the name ‘F-777 DBS Wealth Equity Research Group’. According to officials familiar with the contents, the note alleges that the group operated an elaborate online investment scheme through WhatsApp and Telegram, falsely claiming regulatory approvals and links to reputable financial institutions.
 
In the note, Mr Chahal wrote that fraudsters posing as senior executives and wealth management advisers gradually gained investors’ trust by sharing daily market tips, simulated dashboards and promises of high returns. The scheme allegedly progressed through multiple stages, including daily trading, initial public offerings, over-the-counter trades and so-called quantitative funds, each offering escalating returns.
 
When Mr Chahal attempted to withdraw funds, he was allegedly asked to pay additional charges, including service fees, taxes and membership costs and was even pressured to make payments purportedly to expedite the withdrawals. Despite repeated payments, no funds were released, the note claims.
 
According to media reports, the former IG alleged that about ₹1 crore of the amount involved was his own money, while more than ₹7 crore had been borrowed from friends and relatives. He also listed multiple bank accounts through which the alleged transactions are routed and he had preserved screenshots of dashboards, transaction records and chat histories.
 
In the note, Mr Chahal reportedly expressed remorse over the financial and emotional burden on his family and appealed for protection and assistance for them. He also urged creditors not to pressure his family and stated that no one else should be held responsible for his actions.
 
Patiala City's superintendent of police (SP) Palwinder Singh Cheema told the media that police received information from Mr Chahal’s friends that he might attempt suicide, following which officers rushed to his residence and found him injured. “Our immediate priority is saving his life. He is undergoing treatment and is in a critical condition. We have recovered the note found at the scene and are investigating all angles of the case,” Mr Cheema says.
 
Officials say Mr Chahal had not filed any formal complaint regarding the alleged fraud prior to the incident. In his note, however, he claimed to have written to the prime minister, the Union home minister and the Union finance minister, seeking intervention and calling for the constitution of a special investigation team or a probe by a central agency to dismantle what he described as a nationwide cyber fraud network.
 
The incident has sent shockwaves through police circles and comes months after a similar case in October, when Haryana additional director general of police (ADG) Y Puran Kumar died by suicide at his Chandigarh residence. 
 
Comments
Kamal Garg
2 months ago
If a seasoned and experienced top level police officer can fall prey to such cyber criminals, how can we expect ordinary citizens to be aware, informed and alert from such fraudsters.
abhay1955
2 months ago
Lawyers, Doctors, Chartered Accountants, Bankers..... and now top police officer ! Will the cyber crime cells all over the country now understand the importance of expedieting each and every such case irrespective of the amount involved?
structurusque
2 months ago
Sad & tragic!
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