The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested one Himanshu Bhandarion from Noida, Uttar Pradesh for cheating Rs 2.35 crore from a businessman.
The accused was produced before the ACJM First, Surajpur Court, Greater Noida, on March 16 and was brought to Odisha on transit remand and produced before the JMFC, Barbil, on Saturday.
The arrest was made against a case registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Pramod Kumar Rout of Joda in Keonjhar district on the allegation of cheating him to the tune of over Rs 2.35 crore in the guise of paying him Rs 3 core from the Government of India under the Pradhan Mantri Rahat Kosh Yojona against his insurance policy with Max New York Life, using forged and manipulated documents.
The EOW found that during October 2019, Rout received a call from a person who identified himself as AK Walia, Fund Releasing Head, Ministry of Finance and informed him that Rout’s insurance policy has been selected under Pradhan Mantri Rahat Kosh Yojona and that the Union Government would release Rs 3 crore to his account.
Subsequently, the complainant received one letter in his mobile through WhatsApp, which was issued under the signature of one Suresh Mathur, HOD (Intermediaries) Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (IRDA), wherein it was mentioned “…..the authority request you to pay dues and receive your fund of Rs 1,56,36,500 within next 4 hours”.
Along with the above letter, he also received some other communications in his WhatsApp. Being persuaded, he, during the period from November 19, 2019 to February 4, 2021, transferred around Rs 2.35 crore in instalments. However, even after lapse of time when no amount was returned to him, he doubted their activities; and on his contact, he found all the mobile numbers were switched off.
The complainant also received many letters issued by the Ministry of Finance, RBI, Income Tax Department and images of two bank Demand Drafts in his favour amounting to Rs 1,27,73,000 and Rs 70,81,800. All these letters/ documents were found fake and forged. It was found that there is no such person like Walia, said the