63-year-old heart patient from Iraq dies in Gurugram after conmen snatch $15K cash

A 63-year-old Iraqi man visiting Gurugram for a cardiac surgery died while allegedly chasing the con men who drove away with $15,000 ( ₹12.4 lakh), which he had set aside for his treatment, police said on Tuesday, adding they are yet to verify the cause of death.

According to investigators, one of the two suspects impersonated a police officer in civilian clothes and forced the Iraqi national to gibe him the envelope with the money on the pretext of checking it for drugs and then snatched it.

The incident took place at about 3.30pm in front a hotel in Sector 39 on Sunday where the victim Faris Muslim Abbasand his wife, Nada Ali Salman (54), were staying. Police said that the couple hails from Baghdad and landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on the morning of October 21 and consulted a cardiac surgeon at a private hospital in Sector 38 on October 22. Abbas was to be admitted on October 24 and undergo the surgery on October 25.

Jai Pahwa, a private firm executive who assisted the family in Gurugram with the medical treatment and helped get the FIR registered, alleged that two men in a car stopped the couple to frisk them for drugs while they were returning to their hotel with groceries.

“Abbas’ wife and hotel staff told me that a suspect with a black cap and a face mask flashed an identity card while introducing himself as a police officer. A driver waited inside the car with the engine running,” he said.

Pahwa alleged that the suspect forcibly took Salman’s handbag and returned after searching it.

“He then turned towards Abbas and asked him to hand over his belongings for checking. Abbas resisted but he finally handed over an envelope containing $15,000,” he said.

Pahwa alleged that the suspect sniffed the envelope and replied that it was not money but drugs and immediately boarded the car to escape.

“The couple chased the car for 20 metres, but fell and got injured. Then Abbas started shivering. He was taken into the hotel and given a glass of water. Hotel staff arranged a cab and rushed Abbas to the hospital where he was undergoing treatment but he died--we suspect probably from cardiac arrest,” he alleged.

Based on Salman’s complaint, police registered an FIR under sections 34 (common intention), 379 (theft) and 420 (cheating) of Indian Penal Code at Gurugram Sadar police station on Sunday night.

Salman alleged in the FIR that she lost her husband just because of the crime. Police said that Salman refused an autopsy and her son is scheduled to fly to Delhi to take the body back to Baghdad.

A senior police officer said that a brown Honda City was used in Sunday’s crime. “The same car was allegedly used to snatch money from another Iraqi couple and a Sudanese national on March 10 and September 3 this year,” he said. The incidents took place in Sector 39 and Sector 38, he said, adding no suspect has been identified in either of the cases yet.

Inspector Ved Parkash, station house officer of Gurugram Sadar police station, said that police suspect the same gang is involved in most of these incidents. “We are trying to identify and arrest them,” he said.

He said that Abbas was already suffering from cardiac issues. “It is yet not clear if he died from the incident or not. However, he did fall ill after the incident and was rushed to hospital where doctors declared him dead. It was not visible in CCTV camera footage if he had chased the suspects,” he said.

“We will act as per whatever written complaint the family submits in addition to the FIR which has been already registered,” he said.