Chhattisgarh court orders probe against ex-Indian cricketer Rajesh Chauhan

A court in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district has directed the police to investigate former India cricketer Rajesh Chauhan over allegations that he duped a man of more than Rs 15 lakh on the pretext of offering him a transport contract with a steel company.

Judicial Magistrate First Class Aishwarya Diwan, in an order passed on July 16, allowed an application filed by complainant Dinkar Vishwamitra under Section 175 (3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and directed Mohan Nagar police to conduct a lawful investigation and submit a final report before the court.

According to the application, Chauhan introduced himself to Vishwamitra as a former international cricketer with close links to some leading industrialists and claimed that his firm, Govind Transport Company, had secured a contract from Jindal Steel Limited in Odisha’s Keonjhar district for transportation of iron ore and lumps.

The complainant alleged that Chauhan promised substantial profits and persuaded him to invest in the transport business by deploying trucks as a partner.

To support his claims, Chauhan allegedly showed him work order documents purportedly issued in favour of Govind Transport Company by Jindal Steel Limited, the application said.

Believing the documents to be genuine, Vishwamitra entered an agreement with Chauhan on July 30, 2021, and paid Rs 2.51 lakh through a cheque.

He subsequently transferred Rs 15.01 lakh in two instalments to Govind Transport Company’s bank account for the proposed transport business, the application said.

The application alleged that after Chauhan stopped responding satisfactorily, Vishwamitra approached Jindal Steel Limited and learnt that neither Chauhan nor Govind Transport Company had ever been awarded any transport contract. It further claimed that the work order shown to him was forged and fabricated.

The complainant alleged that despite submitting written complaints to Mohan Nagar police station and later to the Durg Superintendent of Police, no FIR was registered, prompting him to approach the court under Section 175(3) of the BNSS.

After examining the application and documents on record, the court observed that the material indicated the commission of a cognizable offence and that the police had taken no action despite complaints.

The court further observed that there was prima facie material suggesting the respondent had dishonestly obtained money by allegedly cheating the complainant, warranting a police investigation.

When contacted, Chauhan told PTI that the dispute was of a business nature.

“Some money of the complainant has already been returned, while repayment of the remaining amount has been delayed due to personal circumstances,” he said.

Durg Superintendent of Police Vijay Agrawal said the police were yet to receive the court order.

“The matter will be investigated after the order is received and further legal action will be taken in accordance with law,” he said.