Who was arrested in Bengal for a Rs 3.35 crore stock market fraud?
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Kolkata, Jan 29 (NationPress) A man has been apprehended by the police in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal for his alleged participation in a cyber fraud case that resulted in a resident being swindled out of Rs 3.35 crore under the guise of lucrative stock market investments, as reported by authorities on Thursday.
The suspect, identified as Hasan Molla, was detained following an extensive inquiry conducted by the Cyber Crime branch.
According to the police, the victim, Ashish Kumar Ghora, 56, from Entally in central Kolkata, was drawn into a WhatsApp group allegedly managed by the accused, which promised significant returns in a short time frame. Following the group's advice, Ghora transferred nearly Rs 3.35 crore to various bank accounts.
“Hasan initially included the victim in a WhatsApp group that consisted of several other participants. The group purportedly assured high returns within a short period through stock market investments and frequently provided recommendations for profitable investments,” police sources stated.
When Ghora attempted to withdraw his funds and was unsuccessful, he realized that he had been deceived.
The victim subsequently reported the incident to the Cyber Crime branch of the Kolkata Police and lodged a formal complaint.
Law enforcement revealed that the accused had utilized forged names and logos of the Securities and Exchange Board of India and the US Securities and Exchange Commission to lend an air of legitimacy to the scheme.
“Fraudulent documents were also reportedly employed to build trust with the victim,” added the sources.
A preliminary investigation showed that of the total Rs 3.35 crore, Rs 22.5 lakh was transferred to a bank account registered under the name of MS Masud Construction.
Hasan Molla was arrested in the Bishnupur area of South 24 Parganas on Wednesday after the complaint was lodged by Ghora.
As per police sources, Hasan allegedly misappropriated the funds received from the victim through deceitful means.
Investigators are currently examining whether a larger syndicate is involved in this fraudulent scheme.