Bengal hotel owner, aide held for duping city bizman of Rs 6cr | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: The state crime branch arrested a Siliguri-based hotel owner and his female associate from Kolkata on Monday for allegedly cheating a Bhubaneswar-based businessman of Rs 6 crore through fraudulent online stock trading.
The police identified the accused as hotel proprietor, Ashok Nanda (53), and his aide, Jayarani Basak (38), a resident of Kolkata.
According to crime branch officers, the victim filed a complaint at the cyber police station on Jan 13, reporting that he had been deceived by an unidentified group of cyber fraudsters who promised lucrative returns through online stock trading. The complainant was allegedly lured into investing substantial amounts through various digital platforms.
Investigation revealed that the accused had established an elaborate scheme to deceive potential investors, using various methods to gain their trust before orchestrating the fraud. Nanda, who owns a hotel in Siliguri, allegedly used his business as a front to appear legitimate to unsuspecting victims, crime branch sources said.
“The victim received a call from an unidentified person in Sept 2024 with an investment proposition in stocks. After showing interest, he was subsequently added to a chat group. The complainant sent Rs 6.04 crore to 22 separate bank accounts from eight accounts belonging to him and his associates. He approached us after failing to withdraw his funds several weeks later,” a crime branch officer said.
Nanda’s account received Rs 1.11 crore while Jayarani’s account showed deposits of Rs 6 lakh. “Our investigation is continuing to trace other suspects,” said director general (crime branch), Vinaytosh Mishra.
The police identified the accused as hotel proprietor, Ashok Nanda (53), and his aide, Jayarani Basak (38), a resident of Kolkata.
According to crime branch officers, the victim filed a complaint at the cyber police station on Jan 13, reporting that he had been deceived by an unidentified group of cyber fraudsters who promised lucrative returns through online stock trading. The complainant was allegedly lured into investing substantial amounts through various digital platforms.
Investigation revealed that the accused had established an elaborate scheme to deceive potential investors, using various methods to gain their trust before orchestrating the fraud. Nanda, who owns a hotel in Siliguri, allegedly used his business as a front to appear legitimate to unsuspecting victims, crime branch sources said.
“The victim received a call from an unidentified person in Sept 2024 with an investment proposition in stocks. After showing interest, he was subsequently added to a chat group. The complainant sent Rs 6.04 crore to 22 separate bank accounts from eight accounts belonging to him and his associates. He approached us after failing to withdraw his funds several weeks later,” a crime branch officer said.
Nanda’s account received Rs 1.11 crore while Jayarani’s account showed deposits of Rs 6 lakh. “Our investigation is continuing to trace other suspects,” said director general (crime branch), Vinaytosh Mishra.
