3 Kolkata men dupe Sikkim local of Rs 7 lakh to install ‘Reliance Jio tower’

GANGTOK: Sikkim Police have tracked down and arrested three conmen posing as officials of Reliance Mobile Network from Kolkata, who allegedly swindled a resident of Geyzing in West Sikkim of Rs 6,93,160 on the pretext of setting a Reliance Jio tower on the victim’s land.

Victim Bishnu Prasad Sharma lodged an FIR at Geyzing Police Station on January 28, stating that some unknown persons had swindled him for an amount of Rs 6,93,160 in aggregate through online mode on the pretext of installing a 5G Reliance Jio tower on his land at Bermiok Berthang in Geyzing district.

The accused persons had allegedly impersonated as the chairman and other officials from Reliance company. The police have registered a case under IPC sections 419 – punishment for cheating by impersonation, 420 – cheating and dishonesty inducing delivery of property, 468 – forgery for purpose of cheating, and section 34 – acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.

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An investigating team headed by inspector Silash Tamang was sent to Kolkata. With technological support from Gyalshing Police Cyber Cell, the investigating team arrested one Saurav Kumar Keshri, a 25-year-old native of Jharkhand (Jamtara), 28-year-old Dhananjoy Jaiswal Porgoahin from Assam, and one Subhodeep Dutta Mitra of Asansol, current residents of Mahisbathan in Kolkata.

The amount cheated from the victim was withdrawn from the account of accused Saurav Kumar Keshri through an ATM at Salt Lake in Kolkata. During the course of investigation, some incriminating articles related to the case were also seized.

Sikkim Police said, “The arrests were made in Kolkata with the help of local police and the accused persons have been brought to Gyalshing Police Station. They are presently in police custody for further investigation.”

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