Man who assumed identity of RBI, finance ministry officials held for Rs 2.25 crore fraud

Photo: IANS


A fraudster from Noida, who cheated Rs 2.35 crore from a man in Odisha’s Keonjhar district under Pradhan Mantri Rahat Kosh Yojana in the guise of the pretext of providing him financial relief under Pradhan Mantri Rahat Kosh Yojana has been taken into custody by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha police.

The accused, Himanshu Bhandarion was arrested from Noida in Uttar Pradesh on 15 March. He was produced before the Surajpur Court in Greater Noida. Brought under transit remand to Odisha, he was later remanded to judicial custody, EOW said today in a statement.

The accused was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by one Pramod Kumar Rout of Joda in the Keonjhar district. He was deceived to the tune of more than Rs.2.35 crores by the accused Himanshu Bhandari and others in the guise of paying him Rs. 3 cores from the centre are under Pradhan Mantri Rahat Kosh Yojana against his Insurance policy with Max NewYork Life, using the forged & manipulated documents, the statement said.

The accused had assumed the fake identities of the Reserve Bank of India and the ministry of finance officials to perpetuate the fraud.

The complainant had received many letters on Whatsapp issued by the Ministry of Finance, RBI, Income Tax Department, and images of two bank Demand Drafts in favour of the complainant amounting to Rs. 1,27,73,000/- and Rs. 70,81,800/-. All these letters and documents were later found to be fake and forged, the EOD added.