Srinagar: Srinagar Police on Saturday claimed to have arrested a “habitual fraudster” on charges of duping an individual of a substantial sum of money.
Acting on “written information” from one Rinchen Angchok, son of Kunga Paldan, resident of Nang Leh Ladakh, police apprehended the accused person for fraudulently extracting ₹14,48,829 (14.5 lakhs) from the complainant on the pretext of sanctioning a petrol pump on the Leh-Manali highway, using his fake influence to deceive the victim, a police spokesperson said.
Police identified the accused as Mirza Sajad Hussain Beigh, son of Mirza Ali Mohammad Beigh, resident of Khushipora HMT.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the law in Police Station Parimpora.
During preliminary investigation, it came to fore that the accused person is a habitual offender involved in numerous cases of fraud across the valley. The accused has multiple complaints lodged against him under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act in various courts, and several non-bailable warrants of arrest have been issued against him by multiple courts, police said.
During investigation, it surfaced that the accused would portray himself as a person of “significant influence, often associating himself with political affiliates and participating in the 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 said while urging the public to not fall prey to fraudsters and imposters who portray themselves as influential figures.
“Citizens are advised to verify credentials of such individuals before making any financial commitments and to report any suspicious activity to their nearest police station or dial 112,” police said.
