J&K Crime Branch files chargesheet against 4 in ₹15 lakh cooking oil fraud
Synopsis
Four accused — including two Srinagar residents and individuals from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh — have been chargesheeted in a ₹15 lakh cooking oil supply fraud in Srinagar. The company they claimed to represent, M/s Assured Agro Food Industries, turned out to be entirely fictitious, with no registration on record with the Registrar of Companies, Rajasthan.
Key Takeaways
The EOW Kashmir filed a chargesheet on 30 July against four accused before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar .
The fraud involved a ₹15 lakh security deposit extracted from a complainant under the pretext of supplying cooking oil.
The accused falsely claimed to represent M/s Assured Agro Food Industries , which was found to be an unregistered, non-existent company.
Charges were filed under Sections 420 and 120-B IPC (cheating and criminal conspiracy) in FIR No.
The four accused hail from Srinagar , Jaipur , and Meerut , pointing to a multi-state conspiracy.
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch on Thursday, 30 July filed a chargesheet before a Srinagar court against four accused in a ₹15 lakh cheating case involving a fictitious cooking oil company. The chargesheet was presented before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar under FIR No. 77/2022.
The Accused
The four individuals named in the chargesheet are Mohammad Amin Bhat, son of Mohammad Afzal Bhat, a resident of Khanyar, Srinagar; Khalid Hussain Khan, son of Ghulam Hassan Khan, a resident of Gasiyar Hawal, Srinagar; Anil Kumar Maheshwari, son of Ganpat Lal, a resident of Satiya Nagar, Jhotwara, Jaipur, Rajasthan; and Shashank Kumar, son of Surinder Singh, a resident of Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
How the Fraud Was Carried Out
According to the EOW, the case originated from a complaint alleging that Mohammad Amin Bhat, along with Khalid Hussain Khan — who introduced himself as Area Sales Manager — and Anil Kumar Maheshwari, who claimed to be Regional Sales Manager of M/s Assured Agro Food Industries, persuaded the complainant to deposit ₹15 lakh as a security amount for the supply of cooking oil. The accused reportedly assured delivery of the stock within a week. No stock was ever supplied.
Charges were framed under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Key Investigation Findings
During the investigation, EOW sleuths found that the accused had allegedly acted in conspiracy to defraud the complainant on the pretext of supplying mustard oil. Crucially, inquiries with the Registrar of Companies, Rajasthan confirmed that no company by the name of M/s Assured Agro Food Industries was ever registered — indicating the firm was fictitious. Further probe revealed that Shashank Kumar of Meerut was the purported owner of this non-existent entity.
EOW Advisory to the Public
The EOW has urged citizens to remain vigilant against economic frauds of this nature. Members of the public who encounter suspicious business propositions are advised to report them to the Senior Superintendent of Police, EOW Kashmir, or lodge complaints via the wing's official email. The case now proceeds to judicial proceedings before the competent court.
This is part of a broader pattern of investment and supply-chain frauds targeting individuals in Jammu and Kashmir, where fraudsters pose as representatives of established businesses to extract upfront deposits before vanishing.
Point of View
A non-existent company, and a plausible commodity (cooking oil) to lower the victim's guard. What stands out is the multi-state reach: accused from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh operating through local intermediaries in Srinagar, suggesting an organised network rather than an opportunistic scam. The EOW's confirmation that M/s Assured Agro Food Industries had no registration is the kind of basic due diligence that victims could have done before transferring funds — pointing to a larger need for public financial literacy campaigns in the region. Courts will now determine culpability, but the investigation's cross-state dimension raises questions about whether similar frauds remain unreported.
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ₹15 lakh cheating case filed by J&K Crime Branch?
The EOW Kashmir filed a chargesheet against four accused who allegedly defrauded a complainant of ₹15 lakh by posing as representatives of a cooking oil company called M/s Assured Agro Food Industries and promising supply of stock that was never delivered. The case was registered under FIR No. 77/2022 and the chargesheet was filed before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar on 30 July.
Who are the four accused named in the J&K chargesheet?
The four accused are Mohammad Amin Bhat (Khanyar, Srinagar), Khalid Hussain Khan (Gasiyar Hawal, Srinagar), Anil Kumar Maheshwari (Jhotwara, Jaipur, Rajasthan), and Shashank Kumar (Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh). Shashank Kumar was identified as the purported owner of the fictitious company.
Was M/s Assured Agro Food Industries a real company?
No. Inquiries with the Registrar of Companies, Rajasthan confirmed that no company by the name M/s Assured Agro Food Industries was ever registered, establishing that the firm was entirely fictitious and created to deceive the complainant.
Under which legal sections was the chargesheet filed?
The chargesheet was filed under Section 420 (cheating) and Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. The case now proceeds to judicial proceedings before the competent court in Srinagar.
How can citizens report similar economic frauds in J&K?
The EOW has advised the public to report suspicious activities to the Senior Superintendent of Police, EOW Kashmir, or lodge complaints through the wing's official email address.
