Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 20: The Crime Branch Jammu has recovered Rs 13.32 lakh more in the scam involving cheat, who had duped people through telephonic calls by claiming themselves as representatives of prominent banks, insurance companies etc asking to people to deposit amount in their accounts by promising them hefty returns.
With the recovery of Rs 13.32 lakh more from seven accused arrested by the Crime Branch so far, total recoveries of cash have gone up to Rs 28.32 lakh as the Agency had earlier recovered Rs 15 lakh. A total of Rs 36 lakh had been swindled by the accused but the amount could go up.
SSP Crime Branch Jammu Mubassir Latifi told the Excelsior that the Agency sleuths have managed to recover Rs 13.32 lakh more from the possession of seven accused during about week-long sustained questioning and investigations. Rs 15 lakh had been recovered earlier from them. Efforts were on to recover remaining Rs 8 lakh from the accused.
Latifi said the Crime Branch has deputed its teams to Jaipur and different cities of Uttar Pradesh in search of more accused as earlier arrested persons have disclosed that more racketeers were operating in Jammu from the Northern cities. The investigators have obtained identity of some of the accused and were searching them at different places.
After initial arrests of seven accused, the Crime Branch has received series of more complaints from various places with people alleging that they too had been duped by the arrested fraudsters and some others. The Crime Branch has started investigations into the complaints.
“The neighbouring States of Jammu and Kashmir have also sought custody of the accused as they wanted in similar frauds in their States,’’ Latifi said, adding the Crime Branch will consider the request after its own investigations were complete.
The fraudsters had also been taking amount from the people by promising to install mobile towers, ATMs etc in their houses and shops at the rate of Rs 50,000 or even Rs 1 lakh per month. This way, a number of people had been cheated by the accused by making the fraud calls from different offices in Noida, Gurgaon and New Delhi. The accused had frequently been changing their offices and posing themselves as self-styled Directors and representatives of various Directors and companies.
While seven accused have been arrested, five others including two girls—Kanchan and Neha Kant of New Delhi have also been identified and were absconding. Number of the accused could go up during questioning of the arrested persons.
Cyber Cell Incharge of the Crime Branch Inspector Parvez Sajjad was investigating the case.
The Crime Branch has reiterated its appeal to the people not to fall prey to such phone calls and don’t divulge their credit or debit card and bank account details on telephone,
For the last two-three years, a number of complaints have been received in Crime Branch, Jammu where the unknown callers had after alluring the complainants taken away their hard earned money through online transactions in different bank accounts, which on verifications turned out to be opened on fake names and addresses.
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