In a major twist in the Rs 1.17 crore fraud case detected by the Odisha Crime Branch (CB), Economic Offences Wing, the sleuths on Wednesday said that the third accused in the case, Rajesh Gahlot, is actually an officer with the country’s premier external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Gahlot was arrested by the EOW from Sector-23 Dwaraka in New Delhi on December 18. He was subsequently produced before Metropolitan Magistrate, Dwaraka on December 19 and the court had allowed him 5 days transit bail with direction to appear before the trial court –SJDM Bhubaneswar- on or before December 24, 2021.
Earlier, the Crime Branch EOW had stated that Gahlot posed as a RAW official in order to perpetrate his con act. However, on Wednesday, the sleuths clarified that Gahlot is a genuine RAW official.
Earlier, the EOW had arrested two more persons-Suryamani Triapathy and Amit Kumar- in connection with the fraud. It was earlier alleged that all the accused had posed as IAS, PWD and RAW officials to cheat the unsuspecting victims. The role of some more suspects in the case is still to be ascertained.
EOW Arrests 2 Fraudsters For Cheating Over Rs 1 Crore By Posing As IAS & PWD Officers
It is pertinent to mention here all the three accused were identified on the complaint filed by one Rikab Chand Munot alias Mukesh Jain, the proprietor of M/s Rashtriya Stainless Steel, Jindal House, Asaf Ali Road in New Delhi.
The businessman had alleged that the accused along with the help of a woman, who impersonated as a Treasury Officer, had duped him and his son to the tune of Rs.1.17 crore on the pretext of facilitating big work orders/ contracts in Works Department, Odisha.
Earlier, the EOW had stated that the accused persons handed over fake/ manufactured work orders having contract value of Rs. 32.52 crore and Rs.47.52 crore, respectively to the complainant and in that process had cheated Rs. 1.17 crores from him.