NEW DELHI: An NRI businessman living in the United Kingdom got a rude shock when he found that his debit card had been 'swiped' at restaurants, malls and mobile stores in the Indian capital even while it remained in his possession. Sumant Kumar of Derby wrote an e-mail to the Delhi Police commissioner, Neeraj Kumar, and an FIR was promptly lodged.

Initial investigations by the crime branch's economic offences wing have revealed that the victim's card was cloned in January this year when he visited India. Police have gathered details of the mobile phones bought via the cloned card and are analysing their International Mobile Equipment Identity numbers to trace the accused. They are trying to procure CCTV footages of days the card was used.

Nine of 13 transactions worth around Rs 2.5 lakh were declined at ATMs and other outlets in Connaught Place while transactions worth thousands were successful at four electronic and mobile phone outlets.

Sumant wrote the police commissioner at his e-mail id-cp.neerajkmar@nic.in-on June 6.

As per Sumant's complaint, his debit card was swiped at around 13 different merchant outlets between May 21 and May 23 even though it was in his wallet. Sumant claims he left India on January 21.

The transactions came to his notice only when the bank called him up to confirm them. When Sumant told bank officials that his card was intact, they asked him to prove it by conducting a transaction.

"On the request of the bank official, I swiped my card at a local ATM here in UK. However, as the card had already been blocked, no transactions could be carried out. I sent the bank a receipt of the declined transaction. I have lodged a complaint at the bank on May 31. The bank said I needed to file an FIR in this connection," Sumant wrote. The cyber cell of the EOW wing has registered a case under Section 66 of Information Technology Act.

Initial investigations by the economic offences wing have revealed that thevictim's card cloned in January this year when he visited India.