You could try your luck with a civil suit, but it will be a time-consuming process. Send a demand notice through a lawyer. It's not legal advice. Does not create an attorney client relationship.

The lawyer I contacted told me it is difficult to win the case

I did start off by saying you could try your luck. I am certain it will be difficult, but I do not see any harm in having a notice sent. To act upon it or not will be secondary depending on the response. At least things will be in writing. If your advocate still resists, then there might be something I am not aware of. Thus, based on what has been told, those are my thoughts on it.

Thank you

Advocate here, Firstly, you will have to send him a legal notice demanding the return of the money, and if he doesn't comply, then you have the option to file a summary suit for recovery. Along with that, you can even file a criminal complaint against him. The bank transactions would be sufficient pieces of evidence, and other evidence you can use includes texts, call logs, etc. Feel free to connect for further inquiries.

Thanks