Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 1: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of the Crime Branch has chargesheeted two accused in a fake international prize scam that cheated a complainant of lakhs of rupees.
As per a statement issued today, the chargesheet was filed in Case FIR No. 24/2017 under Section 420 RPC read with Section 66(d) of the IT Act against two accused before the Court of City Munsif (JMIC) Srinagar, after their involvement in a prize money fraud case was established.
According to the Crime Branch, the investigation was initiated following the receipt of a complaint, in which the complainant stated that he was lured by a fraudulent phone call claiming that he had won a prize of Rs 2.35 crore along with a car from M/s Chevrolet Motors Promotion Limited, UK.
To claim the prize, as per the agency, the caller directed the complainant to communicate through an email ID, cheprom@liv.co.uk.
“During subsequent email correspondence, the complainant was asked to deposit an amount as customs duty into a bank account maintained in the name of Jitu Raj Johari at SBI Branch, Sarai Khawja,” the statement said.
After depositing the amount, the complainant received another email instructing him to open an account in the Royal Bank of Scotland and deposit an additional amount as Charges of Transfer (COT) through an NSG agency.
“The complainant arranged the required amount from various sources and deposited the same as instructed. However, no prize money was ever transferred to his account.”
The caller, identifying himself as “Frank Ban” and using the email ID frankban@diplomats.com, continued to mislead the complainant, according to the CB.
The probe, the agency said, conclusively revealed that Jitu Raj Johari, son of Anand Kumar Johari, resident of H. No. A-71, Second Floor, Front Side, Ashoka Enclave, Sector-37, Amarnagar, Faridabad (Haryana), and Suresh Thakur, son of Ramesh Thakur, resident of H. No. 63, Akhara Ghat Giromail, Muzaffarabad, and presently residing at H. No. 58, N-Block, JJ Colony, Shakurpur, Delhi, “were actively involved in the commission of the offence and had fraudulently and dishonestly duped the complainant of lakhs of rupees.”
Based on oral, documentary, and corroborative evidence collected during the investigation, offences under the relevant provisions of law were established against the accused persons, the agency said.
“Accordingly, the case has been proved, and the chargesheet has been presented before the competent court for judicial adjudication,” the statement added.
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