The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of the Crime Branch, Jammu and Kashmir, has filed a chargesheet against two individuals for allegedly duping a complainant of lakhs of rupees through a fraudulent international lottery scheme promising a multi-crore prize and a luxury car.
The chargesheet pertains to an eight-year-old case originating from a complaint received in 2017, in which the victim was contacted via phone and falsely informed that he had won Rs 2.35 crore along with a luxury car from M/s Chevrolet Motors Promotion Limited in the United Kingdom. According to details received by The Chenab Times, the investigation established that the accused persons orchestrated the fraud by directing the complainant to transfer money under various pretexts, including customs duty and transfer charges, ultimately resulting in no prize being delivered.
The case, registered as FIR No. 24/2017 under Section 420 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) read with Section 66(d) of the Information Technology Act, was probed by the EOW Kashmir. The complainant reported receiving a phone call claiming the win, after which he was instructed to correspond via the email ID cheprom@liv.co.uk. Subsequent communications demanded an initial deposit as customs duty into a bank account at the State Bank of India’s Sarai Khawaja branch in the name of Jitu Raj Johari. Further emails, purportedly from a person identifying as “Frank Ban” using the address frankban@diplomats.com, required additional payments for “Charges of Transfer” through an NSG agency, prompting the victim to open an account with the Royal Bank of Scotland and remit more funds sourced from various places.
The investigation, based on oral, documentary, and corroborative evidence, conclusively linked Jitu Raj Johari, son of Anand Kumar Johari and resident of H. No. A-71, Second Floor, Front Side, Ashoka Enclave, Sector-37, Amarnagar, Faridabad in Haryana, and Suresh Thakur, son of Ramesh Thakur and resident of H. No. 63, Akhara Ghat Giromail, Muzaffarabad, presently at H. No. 58, N-Block, JJ Colony, Shakurpur in Delhi, to the offence. Authorities stated that the duo fraudulently and dishonestly extracted lakhs of rupees from the complainant by misleading him throughout the correspondence.
The chargesheet has been presented before the Court of the City Munsif (JMIC), Srinagar, for judicial adjudication. Police sources emphasized that the case highlights the persistent nature of advance-fee frauds, where victims are lured with promises of large winnings from abroad but are repeatedly asked for upfront payments under fabricated charges.
Such scams remain a concern across India, particularly in regions like Jammu and Kashmir, where individuals may be targeted through unsolicited calls and emails impersonating legitimate international entities. Authorities have urged the public to exercise caution with unsolicited prize notifications and to verify claims independently before making any payments. No further arrests or additional accused have been reported in this specific matter as the investigation concluded with the filing of the chargesheet.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
