EOW ARRESTS FRAUDSTER INVOLVED IN CHEATING TO THE TUNE OF MORE THAN 2.35 CRORES IMPEROSNATING AS SENIOR GOVERNMENT/ RBI OFFICIALS

Bureau,Odishabarta

Bhubaneswar:Economic Offences Wing, Bhubaneswar has arrested one accused, Himanshu Bhandarion 15.03.2022 from Noida, Uttar Pradesh in EOW PS Case No. 02 dated 28.02.2022U/s 419/420/465/467/468/471/170/120-B IPC r.w. Sec. 66 of IT Act, 2000. On being arrested,he was produced before the ACJM First, Surajpur Court, Greater Noida, UP on 16.03.2022 and was brought to Bhubaneswar on the strength of transit remand. He was produced before the JMFC, Barbil yesterday i.e. on 19.03.2022.

The above referred case has been registered on the basis of a complaint filed by one Pramod Kumar Rout of Joda (Dist. Keonjhar) on the allegation of cheating to him to the tune of more than Rs.2.35 crores by the present accused Himanshu Bhandari and others in the guise of paying him Rs. 3 cores from the Govt. of India, under Pradhan Mantri Rahat KoshYojona against his Insurance Policy with Max NewYork  Life, using the forged & manipulated documents.

Investigation of the case revealed that complainant, Pramod Kumar Rout is holding one policy in Max New York Life Insurance Company since March-2012. During the month of October 2019, he received a call from a person who identified himself as A.K.Walia, Fund Releasing Head, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India having Address-Basir Bag, near Parishram Bhawan, Hyderabad and informed him that complainant’s above mentioned Insurance policy has been selected under Pradhan mantri Rahat Kosh Yojona of Govt. of India and that the Govt. of India will release an amount of Rs.3 cores in his account. Subsequent to that the complainant received one letter in his mobile through Whatsapp, which was issued under the signature of one Mr. Suresh Mathur, HOD (Intermediaries) Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (IRDA), wherein it was mentioned “…..the authority request you to pay dues and receive your fund of Rs.1,56,36,500/- (Rupees One Crore Fifty Six Lakhs Thirty six thousand and five hundred) within next 4 hours”. Along with the above letter, he also received some other communications/photographs in his Whatsapp.

Investigation of the case also revealed that when the complainant did not respond to the above letter and remained silent for some days, a series of calls were received by him from different persons & from different mobile numbers, who identified themselves to be employees in the office of Mr. A.K. Walia, who induced/ persuaded the complainant to transfer cash through RTGS and provided several bank Account numbers. Being persuaded, the complainant during the period from 19.11.2019 to 04.02.2021 had transferred around Rs2.35 crores in instalments. However, even after lapse of time, when no amount was returned to the complainant, he doubted their activities and on his contact, he found all the mobile numbers (from which he had received calls) were switched off.

Complainant also received many letters on whatsapp issued by  Ministry of Finance, RBI, Income Tax Department, and images of two bank Demand Drafts in favour of complainant amounting to Rs. 1,27,73,000/- and Rs. 70,81,800/-. All these letters/ documents were found to be fake and forged.

During investigation it was found that there is no such person like Mr walia instead accused and his gang members were impersonating as high level officials to cheat the complainant. It was found that the accused is one of the members of the gang which is involved in many such cases in various states.

Investigation of the case is continuing. Efforts are on to identify/arrest other members of the gang.