JAMMU — Jammu and Kashmir police’s Crime Branch has registered a case against a top executive of a Katra-based company and others for allegedly defrauding several businessmen of nearly Rs 25 crore in the Union Territory (UT).
The complaint was lodged by Ravinder Kumar Gupta, manager of Hind Agro Foods in Jammu, accusing Rajeshwar Sabarwal and accomplices of fraudulent activities, a Crime Branch spokesperson said.
According to the complaint, Sabarwal, in collusion with others, deceived Gupta by misappropriating rice and pulses worth approximately Rs 4.30 crore.
The accused allegedly received the goods under false pretence of supplying them to the Army but failed to make full payments after gaining the trust of the complainant through initial partial payments, the spokesperson said.
Similar fraudulent schemes amounting to Rs 20-25 crore were allegedly conducted with other businessmen using the same modus operandi, he said.
Hind Agro Foods, located at Akhnoor Road, Barnai in Jammu, specialises in grading, sorting and packing basmati and non-basmati rice, pulses and other food items.
Sabarwal was introduced to Ravinder Kumar Gupta through Bharat Bhushan Gupta, a transporter, and claimed to manage all Army supplies under his wife’s Katra-based firm, A K Traders, the spokesperson said.
He promised to purchase goods worth Rs 18.63 crore for Army supplies at Bari Brahmana and Amritsar, assuring prompt payments within 15 days of invoicing.
However, Sabarwal allegedly paid only Rs 3.07 crore out of the Rs 7.37 crore worth of products received from Hind Agro Foods between May 4 and May 28, 2024, causing a loss of Rs 4.30 crore to the complainant.
Jammu SSP Crime Benam Tosh confirmed the registration of case against them and said investigations are going on and additional victims of the fraud are coming forward to seek legal action from the Crime Branch. — (PTI)