Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 26: Srinagar Police today arrested a “habitual fraudster” who recently contested the Assembly elections from Zadibal on charges of “duping” an individual.
In a statement issued here, police said that based on written information from one Rinchen Angchok, son of Kunga Paldan, a resident of Nang Leh, Ladakh, the accused was arrested for fraudulently extracting Rs 14.5 lakh from the complainant.
The money was taken under the pretext of sanctioning a petrol pump on the Leh-Manali highway, using his fake influence to deceive the victim, police said.
The accused was identified as Mirza Sajad Hussain Beigh, son of Mirza Ali Mohd Beigh, a resident of Khushipora, HMT. He also contested elections from the Zadibal Assembly segment as an independent candidate, receiving only 125 votes-significantly less than NOTA, which garnered over 600 votes.
In this regard, case FIR No. 117/24 has been registered under relevant sections of the law at Police Station Parimpora, and the accused has been arrested.
During the preliminary investigation, police discovered that the accused is a habitual offender involved in numerous fraudulent cases across the valley, including FIR No. 38/18 under sections 380, 109, and 120 RPC at PS Baramulla; FIR No. 23/13 under sections 419, 420, 468, and 471 RPC at PS Zadibal; and FIR No. 44/23 under sections 420, 468, 471, and 120 B IPC at PS Economic Offences Wing, Crime Branch Srinagar.
“In addition to these cases, the accused has multiple complaints lodged against him under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act in various Hon’ble Courts. Moreover, several non-bailable warrants for his arrest have been issued by multiple courts,” police said.
During further investigation, police found that the modus operandi of the accused was to portray himself as a person of significant influence, often associating himself with political affiliates and participating in electoral processes to gain security cover.
“Using this pretext, he would dupe people into believing that he had powerful connections, and by gaining the trust of his victims, he would defraud them of large sums of money,” police added.
The police have urged the general public not to fall prey to fraudsters and imposters who present themselves as influential figures.
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