SRINAGAR: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir has filed a chargesheet against four persons in connection with an alleged Rs 15 lakh fraud in which a complainant was purportedly duped into depositing money as security for the supply of cooking oil by a company that investigators later found did not exist.
According to the Crime Branch, the chargesheet in FIR No. 77/2022 has been filed before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, after completion of the investigation. The accused have been booked under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
The accused have been identified as Mohd Amin Bhat, son of Mohd Afzal Bhat, a resident of Khanyar, Srinagar; Khalid Hussain Khan, son of Ghulam Hassan Khan, a resident of Gasiyar Hawal, Srinagar; Anil Kumar Maheshwari, son of Ganpat Lal, a resident of Jhotwara, Jaipur, Rajasthan; and Shashank Kumar, son of Surinder Singh, a resident of Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
The investigation began after a complaint alleging that the accused persuaded the complainant to deposit Rs 15 lakh as security for the supply of edible cooking oil. Investigators said the accused allegedly claimed to represent M/s Assured Agro Food Industries and assured the complainant that the company manufactured edible oil and would deliver the consignment within a week.
The promised supply was never made despite receipt of the security amount, prompting the complainant to approach the Crime Branch.
During the investigation, the EOW found that the accused had allegedly acted in conspiracy to cheat the complainant on the pretext of supplying mustard oil. Verification with the Registrar of Companies, Rajasthan, revealed that no company named M/s Assured Agro Food Industries was registered, indicating that the firm was fictitious, officials said.
The investigation also found the alleged involvement of Shashank Kumar, who was projected as the owner of the purported company and was alleged to have played a key role in the conspiracy, according to the Crime Branch.
Following completion of the probe, the EOW submitted the chargesheet before the competent court for further judicial proceedings against all four accused.
The Economic Offences Wing has advised the public to verify the credentials of companies before entering into financial or business transactions and to report any suspected economic fraud or financial scam to the SSP, EOW Kashmir, or through the official complaint email.
