CBI Charges Two Kerala Men and Two Policemen in Rs 27.5 Lakh Auto Dealership Fraud?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- CBI charges individuals involved in fraud.
- Significant amount of Rs 27.5 lakh involved.
- Allegations include evidence destruction.
- High Court intervention prompted the investigation.
- Trust in law enforcement is under scrutiny.
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 23 (NationPress) The CBI has filed charges against two individuals from Kerala along with two state police officers in connection with a fraudulent scheme that deceived a woman investor under the pretense of offering an automobile dealership. This revelation was made public on Thursday by an official.
The CBI initiated the First Information Report (FIR) on Wednesday, guided by Divya Sara Thomas, Head of Branch at the CBI Special Crime Branch in Thiruvananthapuram, following directives from the Kerala High Court. The court was approached by Jyolsna Binu, a resident of Karakkad Village in Chengannur, Alappuzha.
Binu alleged that she and her spouse were conned out of Rs 27.5 lakh by Soni P Bhaskar and M.K. Varadarajan, both hailing from Pathanamthitta.
The CBI FIR indicated that Binu was led to believe that the accused were the Manager and Legal Advisor of a partnership firm named ESSEN Bankers.
She claimed that the duo collected a total of Rs 27.5 lakh from her over several transactions between 2003 and 2007, assuring her that she would receive a dealership in the auto business they were planning, with her husband set to be appointed as Managing Director.
According to the complainant, the duo ultimately defrauded her, failing to uphold their promise or return the funds they had collected. The total amount was allegedly paid through two cheques of Rs 3.50 lakh each and cash amounting to Rs 20.50 lakh.
The CBI FIR further uncovered actions under section 201 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to the destruction of evidence, implicating A. Abhilash, Detective Inspector, and Krishnakumar, Detective Sub Inspector.
“As a result, charges under section 201 IPC were added, making both Abhilash and Krishnakumar co-accused,” noted the CBI FIR, which includes allegations of cheating and the deliberate concealment of evidence.
The FIR will be submitted to the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Thiruvananthapuram, according to the document signed by Divya Sara Thomas, IPS, Superintendent of Police, CBI.
Prior to this, in a petition to the High Court, the complainant asserted that state police investigators had provided misleading information regarding the recovery of two cheque leaves from the State Bank of Travancore in Chengannur, failing to present these items in the relevant court.
Binu claimed her investigations revealed that the cheque leaves purportedly seized by state police were unaccounted for.
Fearing that these critical pieces of evidence were intentionally destroyed to protect the offenders, she submitted a comprehensive complaint against the two police investigators involved.