Kin of 2 Haryana ministers, Patiala Fastway director booked for fraud

ACCUSED HAD FORGED SIGNATURES TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT IN THE KOTAK MAHINDRA BANK. SOME TRANSACTIONS WERE ALSO DONE, INCLUDING RECEIVING MONEY FROM FASTWAY CABLE

PATIALA: Police have detained and booked the director of Fastway Cable for Patiala and Ambala, Vikas Puri, in a case of bank fraud, at the Baradari branch of Kotak Mahindra Bank. The others booked are Gaurav Vij, nephew of minister Anil Vij, and Randhir Singh, a close relative of Haryana minister Naib Saini. Bank manager Vivek Pathak has also been booked.

They were booked on a complaint from businessman Jagdeep Singh Sodhi, who alleged that the accused — in connivance with some Fastway Cable officials — had opened a parallel bank account in the name of M/s Om Cable, a firm in which he is the partner.

Puri is considered close to the Akali leadership and was one of leading campaigners for Gen JJ Singh (retd), who had even contested the assembly election against Captain Amarinder Singh from the Patiala Urban seat.

The accused had forged signatures of Sodhi to open an account in the Kotak Mahindra Bank. Some transactions were also done, including receiving money from Fastway Cable.

A DSP conducted an inquiry and reported that prima facie, the accused had committed a crime under sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) against the complainant.

He added that the bank account had been opened without the knowledge of Sodhi by forging his signatures.

“Prima facie, a case has been registered as forgery has been proved. It is a matter of investigation that who forged the signature. Vikas Puri is the prime suspect,” said Rahul Kaushal, SHO Kotwali.

Haryana police have already booked and issued a lookout circular against Puri in another forgery case. This is meant to ensure that he cannot flee the country.