Former IPS officer Amar Singh Chahal allegedly shot himself with the rifle of his security guard on Monday, leaving behind a detailed note that points to a massive cyber fraud and his own sense of collapse in its aftermath.
Chahal, a former Punjab Inspector General of Police, was rushed to a hospital with a gunshot injury to the chest. Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Varun Sharma said the bullet struck his chest and lodged in his lungs.
Doctors described his condition as extremely critical when he was brought in, citing massive blood loss. After stabilisation, surgeons conducted a major operation lasting around two-and-a-half to three hours and successfully removed the bullet.
He will remain under observation for the next 12 to 24 hours, doctors said, adding that it is difficult to estimate his recovery time. At the spot, police recovered a 12-page note addressed to Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav.
In it, Chahal alleged that he had been cheated of Rs 8.10 crore by cyber fraudsters posing as wealth management advisors.
“With great sorrow, pain and despair, I have to bring to your kind notice that I have been cheated by these cyber thugs posing as wealth equity advisors to the tune of Rs 8.10 crore,” the note said. “I regret that I did not use due caution while parting with my money.”
According to the note, the fraudsters operated through WhatsApp and Telegram groups under the name ‘F-777 DBS Wealth Equity Research Group’.
They allegedly claimed links with DBS Bank and its CEO, and projected themselves as representatives of DBS Group, which, according to them, was authorised by the Government of India and SEBI to educate and help retail investors earn good money.
The group allegedly lured investors by promising unusually high returns through stock trading, IPO allotments, OTC trades and so-called “quantitative funds”.
Chahal wrote that fake dashboards were created to show inflated profits, slowly building confidence and pushing investors to deposit larger amounts.
The note claimed that after initial gains were shown on these dashboards, he was repeatedly pressured to reinvest profits.
Later, he was allegedly asked to pay large “service fees,” “taxes,” and other charges to withdraw his money, amounting to several crores. Despite making all payments through bank transfers, withdrawals were never processed, the note said.
Chahal alleged that the scam involved multiple individuals and bank accounts, calling it highly organised. He urged authorities to form a Special Investigation Team or hand over the case to a specialised central agency to trace the money trail.
“Since this is a very sophisticated scamster group, only a dedicated SIT can unearth the network and bring people to book. If your good self may find it proper, it could even be entrusted to CBI or a specialised cell of Punjab police,” the note added.
The former police officer wrote at length about his emotional state, expressing distress over financial ruin and shame.
He apologised to his family and colleagues, writing: “I am extremely sorry, sir, that apart from destroying my own family, I have brought the Punjab Police into question, whose own officer could not take care of the caution to be exercised.”
He appealed for any recovered money to be passed on to his family.
“Sir, I would be very grateful if any culprits are caught and recoveries affected, and some could be passed on to my family so that they are able to pay the persons from whom I borrowed money,” the note stated.
Chahal maintained that no one other than the alleged scammers was responsible for his decision. “Sir, while advising general people to be aware of the scamsters, I have myself fallen victim to their sophisticated method,” he wrote.
He also wrote that he used the rifle of his gunman because he did not own any weapon.
Chahal is also known for his controversial past. He was one of the accused in the 2015 police firing cases linked to anti-sacrilege protests in Faridkot, cases that had put the Punjab Police under intense public scrutiny.
Police said they are investigating both the firing incident and the alleged fraud. Officials are examining the contents of the note, bank transactions, and digital evidence linked to the WhatsApp and Telegram groups named by Chahal.