SRINAGAR: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch Kashmir (CBK) has filed a chargesheet before the Court of Judge Small Causes, Srinagar, in connection with a sophisticated online cheating and impersonation case involving international links.
The chargesheet pertains to FIR No. 17/2020 and has been filed under Sections 419, 420, 468 and 471 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), along with Section 66-D of the Information Technology Act. The accused has been identified as Jumbom Riba, daughter of Henjum Riba, a resident of Village Pagi, P.O./P.S. Basar, District Lepa Rada, West Siang, Arunachal Pradesh.
According to investigators, the accused is alleged to be the mastermind behind an online fraud racket that duped the complainant of approximately Rs 26.25 lakh by impersonating a foreign national and fabricating a business opportunity with overseas connections.
The case originated from a written complaint in which the victim stated that he was contacted through social media by a woman identifying herself as “Christiana”, who claimed to be a Secretary with Abbot Pharmaceutical, United Kingdom. On the pretext of offering dealership rights for a product named “Agasina Nut”, allegedly sourced from Arunachal Pradesh, the complainant was lured with promises of high returns and an international purchase agreement.
Officials said the complainant was persuaded to transfer large sums of money into multiple bank accounts after being shown forged documents and a staged demonstration of currency conversion, giving an illusion of a legitimate international transaction. Acting on these representations, the complainant transferred Rs 26.25 lakh, resulting in substantial financial loss.
During the course of investigation, EOW Kashmir established that the accused used forged and non-genuine identity documents, including fake voter identity cards, to open several bank accounts in the names of Tabu Juli and Aisha Kholi across different banks. These accounts, investigators said, were operated directly by the accused and were used for routing, diversion and withdrawal of the defrauded funds.
Transaction analysis revealed rapid inter-bank transfers followed by cash withdrawals, with no lawful or verifiable source of income to justify the credits. The investigation further revealed a clear pattern of impersonation, forgery and use of forged documents as genuine.
“The investigation has conclusively proved the offences of cheating, impersonation, forgery and cyber fraud,” an official said. Consequently, the probe has been concluded as proved, and the chargesheet has been produced in absentia under Section 512 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for judicial determination.
Meanwhile, the Economic Offences Wing, Crime Branch Kashmir, has urged the public to remain vigilant and not fall prey to online or offline fraudsters, advising people to verify credentials and business offers before engaging in any financial transactions.
