Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Economic Offences Wing, Kashmir, of the Crime Branch Jammu and Kashmir has filed a chargesheet before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, against four accused persons in connection with an alleged ₹15 lakh cheating case involving the promised supply of cooking oil through a non existent company.
The chargesheet has been filed in FIR No. 77 of 2022 under Sections 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, dealing with cheating and criminal conspiracy, against Mohammad Amin Bhat of Khanyar, Srinagar, Khalid Hussain Khan of Gasiyar Hawal, Srinagar, Anil Kumar Maheshwari of Jaipur, Rajasthan, and Shashank Kumar of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
According to the Economic Offences Wing, the case originated from a complaint alleging that the accused had induced the complainant to deposit ₹15 lakh as a security amount for the supply of cooking oil. They allegedly represented that a firm called M/s Assured Agro Food Industries was a genuine manufacturer of cooking oil and had assured the complainant that stock would be delivered within a week of the payment being made.
However, despite receiving the money, no stock was ever supplied to the complainant, prompting the filing of the original complaint that set the investigation in motion. During the course of the investigation, the Economic Offences Wing found that the accused had allegedly acted in conspiracy to cheat the complainant on the pretext of supplying mustard oil, exploiting the promise of a lucrative and time bound delivery to secure the advance payment.
Verification carried out with the Registrar of Companies in Rajasthan revealed that no company by the name of M/s Assured Agro Food Industries was in fact registered, indicating that the entity used to solicit the payment did not legally exist. Investigators also established the alleged involvement of Shashank Kumar, who was purported to be the owner of the company at the centre of the fraud.
Following the completion of the investigation, the Economic Offences Wing presented the chargesheet before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, for further judicial proceedings. The case is expected to proceed to trial, with the four accused now required to answer the charges framed against them in court. Officials say such cases underline the need for greater caution among traders before making advance payments to unverified suppliers.
