Police has busted a gang of fraudsters involved duping several traders in the summer capital.
Police said the gang posed as businessmen and contractors asked traders to supply goods against cheques. However, the traders raised alarm after these cheques were dishonoured due to insufficient balance.
“One of the accused used his fake name as Ajaz Ahmad Khan. He had also furnished forged documents in a bank for opening account so that his real name and address is not known in case somebody tries to initiate legal action against cheque bounce,” police said.
Police swung into action after Muhammad Amin, proprietor Tile Emporium Sonwar here lodged a complaint in police station Ram Munshi Bagh. “In November 2017, two men and a woman came to our shop at Sonwar and presented list of various items. We packed items worth Rs 2.17 lakh. They issued two post-dated cheques of Rs 1.61 lakhs and another of Rs 56000. Both cheques bounced as officials at Axis bank said that account holder has insufficient balance,” Muhammad Amin told Greater Kashmir.
“We contacted the cheque issuer on phone who in return assured that he had deposited the amount in bank and they would be able to clear the cheque shortly. In the meantime, one of my friends informed me about this gang and I started using my good offices to know the reality. I came to know that the name and address used by this person in bank records is fake. I immediately filed a complaint in police station Ram Munshi Bagh,” he said.
Accordingly, a case FIR 115/2017 under section 420 RPC was registered and police launched a manhunt to nab the accused. “We accused the accused identified as Tahir Amin Bahadur and Waheed Ahmad Bhat of Batamaloo,” a police official said. He said this gang also has a woman accomplice.
Following the arrest, various local traders, who had earlier been cheated by this gang in a similar manner, approached police. “The master mind of this gang Tahir used to change his address frequently as he used to stay at rented accommodations.
Senior superintendent of police (SP) Dawood Ayoub said, “this gang was earlier booked in similar cases in other police stations.” “Every time, this gang is looking for new areas and showrooms to cheat people. During investigation, dozens of other cheating instances by the gang came forth and accordingly various articles worth lakhs of rupees were recovered from them,” the SP said.
“The duo along with a woman accomplice, have cheated more than thirty business establishments in Kashmir during last six months,” the SP said.
“The gang used social media applications and websites like OLX to cheat gullible customers by buying used electronic articles like cell phones, ovens, LED TVs against fake bank cheques,” he added.
He said that similarly the gang used to buy articles including electric wires, bath fitting, clothing from renowned showrooms of the Kashmir. “Cheques of Axis Bank, SBI and Punjab National Bank were used by them to make post dated payments for the purchases,” the SP said.
Meanwhile, a group of traders appealed deputy commissioner Srinagar and senior superintendent of police Srinagar to book the gang members under Public Safety Act.
“They are habitual offenders. As records suggest they have several cheating cases registered against them in different police stations. We urge authorities to book them under PSA,” said Hilal Ahmad Zargar, who has also been a victim of this gang