- Businessman turned journo lured; Rs 77 lakhs siphoned off
VIVEK SHARMA
JAMMU: A Mumbai based couple, two girls from Uttar Pradesh, a local reporter was among six accused booked for forgery and cheating a Udhampur based businessman, who is also running a newspaper and portal named Rajya Shakti.
The Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of the Crime Branch Jammu has registered the case wherein over Rs 77 lakhs have been siphoned off. After conducting preliminary investigations, FIR (54/24) has been registered with the Crime Branch and the investigation has been entrusted to Insp Shivdev Singh
According to FIR, a complaint was received in the Crime Branch (EOW) Jammu from Raj Kumar, son of Bal Ram, resident of Sundrani, Tehsil and District Udhampur against Divyansh Bamotra son of Kuldeep, resident of Shant Nagar, near Amba Theater, Janipur, Palwinder Singh, son of Jarnail Singh, resident of Flat No. 703 Floor No. 07 Crest Versova Block Sector, Mhada Plot 02, Andheri West, Akashdeep Society, SVP Nagar, Mumbai Suburban Maharashtra- 400053, Jasleen Verma alias Payal alias Pihu, Jatinder Nishad, resident of Gorakhpur U.P, Kritika alias Pooja Anand and Aman Preet Kour, wife of Palwinder Singh, alleging therein that he is the proprietor of firm M/S Jammu Builders and also runs one newspaper namely Rajya Shakti.
The FIR states that as Raj Kumar was in search of a reporter for his news portal Rajya Shakti. The accused Divyansh Bamotra approached him and he was engaged as a ground reporter after interview. The accused Divyansh Bamotra introduced the complainant Raj Kumar to accused Palwinder Singh and Jasleen Verma alias Payal alias Pihu in his office. The accused Palwinder Singh told Raj that he had strong connections in the Central Government offices and he could get big contracts for his firm.
As the accused Divyansh Bamotra was a local resident, the complainant Raj Kumar believed him and showed his willingness to get government contracts. Thereafter, accused Palwinder Singh once again contacted Raj Kumar and told him that he would get a contract of supplying eggs to IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) and asked him to complete some formalities for which he took money amounting to Rs. 5,75,000 (rupees Five Lakh Seventy Five Thousand) from time to time, the FIR states.
The amount was transferred to accused Palwinder Singh in his bank accounts number 10094889391 maintained in IDFC First bank branch and account number 12107213137 maintained in IDFC First bank branch from the Raj Kumar’s account number 0374040100004334 maintained in J&K Bank Branch Panthal and account number 671204010000007 Union Bank of India, Branch Katra.
The FIR further states that the accused Palwinder Singh again approached the complainant Raj Kumar and told him that if he wanted to get the contract of supplying eggs to IRCTC, then he would have to make him as partner in his firm and the accused Divyansh Bamotra also persuaded Raj Kumar to make accused Palwinder Singh as partner in his firm. The accused persons told Raj that that if he makes accused Palwinder Singh as partner in his firm, he would get highly beneficial contracts.
As per the FIR, on September 12, 2023, Raj Kumar and Palwinder Singh executed a partnership deed and both became partner in firm namely M/S Jammu Builders. After execution of partnership deed, Palwinder Singh time and again approached Raj Kumar for more money to finalize the contract of supplying eggs to IRCTC.
The accused persons also told Raj Kumar that they would arrange Railways Vendorship License after which the firm would become eligible for supplying materials to the Railways. On this pretext, Raj Kumar paid an amount of Rs. 4,78,900 to the accused Palwinder Singh in his bank accounts. On October 2023, the accused namely Divyansh Bamotra and Palwinder Singh again came to Raj Kumar and told him that one company, namely Wipro Enterprises based in Delhi wanted to set u an Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in J&K and for that purpose, they want to conduct a survey in UT of J&K.
The accused Palwinder Singh told Raj Kumar that he had secured contract of conducting the survey for Raj Kumar’s firm. He also gave documents/MOU signed and stamped on behalf of the said company to him.
Thereafter, Raj Kumar incurred expenditure to the tune of Rs. 24,00,000 for completion of said survey. The accused Palwinder Singh told Raj Kumar to not contact any member of the company directly. On this, Raj Kumar got suspicious. Thereafter, he sent an email on the email address provided on the MOU executed on behalf of said company which was given to him by accused Palwinder Singh before starting the survey, but the email address was found to be fake.
Later, Raj Kumar found that the above said MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) was also fake. Thereafter, he went to Delhi and after inquiry, he came to know that the accused Palwinder Singh and accused Kritika had sold the data collected by him to some other company. Raj also came to know that accused Palwinder Singh is a fraudster and he and the other accused persons run a gang who dupe people of their hard earned money. That the accused persons in connivance with one another have cheated him and duped an amount of Rs.77,64,000 (rupees Seventy Seven Lakh Sixty Four Thousand).
The preliminary verification revealed that the accused, by hatching criminal conspiracy, committed cheating and forgery, thereby causing loss to complainant Raj Kumar and wrongful gain to themselves, an FIR under sections 420, 465, 468, 120-B IPC has been registered against Divyansh Bamotra, Palwinder Singh, his wife Aman Preet Kour, Jatinder Nishad and others for in-depth investigation.