STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Special Crime Wing, Crime Branch Jammu on Monday registered two separate criminal cases involving serious allegations of cheating, criminal conspiracy, and financial fraud, causing significant loss to both individuals and financial institutions.
“A written complaint was received in the Special Crime Wing, Jammu, from a resident of RS Pura alleging that he was duped of Rs 17.5 lakhs by two individuals, Kartik Choudhary, son of Gurnam Choudhary and Ravinder Choudhary alias Sonu, son of Mohan Choudhary, both residents of Ward No. 13, Purana Pind, near SBI Bank, RS Pura, Jammu,”a CB official said.
The complainant, the official added, alleged that the accused persons assured him that his son would be sent to Portugal on a work visa, and accordingly, he arranged and paid Rs 17.5 lakhs in multiple transactions, both via RTGS and cash.
Despite repeated assurances, the son was first sent to Armenia on a tourist visa, where he remained stranded for 9 months before returning without any job or onward transfer to Portugal, the official said.
To mislead the complainant further, official added, the accused issued dummy flight tickets, conducted a fake interview in Delhi, and finally issued two cheques of Rs 8 lakhs each, which were subsequently dishonoured.
Investigation revealed that the accused were involved in a deliberate and well-planned conspiracy to cheat the complainant under the guise of overseas employment.
The omissions and commissions by the accused persons constitute offences punishable under Sections 420, 120-B IPC, and a formal case has been registered at Police Station SCW, Jammu, official said.
In another case, official said, the Branch Manager of Bank of Maharashtra, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu filed a complaint against M/s Shuhul Automobiles Pvt. Ltd. (an authorized Mahindra dealership) and Rakesh Sharma, son of Ratan Lal, resident of Marh, Jammu, a Sales Representative, alleging fraud in the disbursement of a vehicle loan worth Rs 12,07,110.
As per the complaint, the dealership issued a Proforma Invoice dated January 17, 2024 for a Mahindra Thar LX (2WD) under the name of M/s CM Enterprises (Proprietor: Chand Gupta), following which the bank transferred the entire loan amount to the dealer’s SBI account.
However, despite repeated follow-ups and even legal notices, the vehicle was never delivered, and the loan was never hypothecated – causing a direct financial loss to the bank and depriving it of its security, the official said.
Preliminary verification confirmed that the accused persons, in criminal connivance, misrepresented facts to obtain the loan amount and never intended to fulfill the contractual obligations, thereby committing fraud and criminal breach of trust, official said adding that the omissions and commissions by the suspects constitute offences punishable under Sections 420, 120-B IPC, and a formal case stands registered at Police Station SCW, Crime Branch Jammu.
“The Special Crime Wing Jammu reiterates its commitment to act firmly against white-collar crimes and bring fraudsters to justice, ensuring that the interests of common citizens and financial institutions are protected,” the official said.
