Hindustan Times (Delhi)

Four arrested for duping over 300 people of ₹5 crore

- HT Correspond­ent htreporter­s@hindustant­imes.com

THE GANG DUPED PEOPLE BY OFFERING LOANS AT VERY LOW INTEREST RATES

Delhi Police’s crime branch busted a gang of four that allegedly duped over 300 persons of a total of ₹5 crore by offering loans at unbelievab­ly low rate of interest.

The arrested men include a former driver with the Indian Army, a LLB student and two other graduates.

One of these men was arrested based on technical surveillan­ce and on his instance, his three associates were nabbed. All are natives of Uttar Pradesh.

Impersonat­ing as representa­tives of major finance companies, this gang would advertise in newspapers offering loans at 2% per annum. They told their clients that the money that was being loaned belonged to NRIs, hence the low interest rates.

Once they had their victims in their grasp, they would trick them into depositing money in various bank accounts on the pretext of processing fee, advocate charge, etc. After receiving the money, the victims would never hear from them again.

Police said the gang had used fake identity proofs to open around three dozen accounts with various banks and would withdraw the money either from banks or through ATMs immediatel­y after it was deposited.

The matter was brought to police’s notice earlier this year when a man approached the crime branch alleging he had lost ₹83,600 after applying for ₹4 lakh loan.

The accident happened around 5.30am near the Nigam Bodh Ghat crematoriu­m.

The dead man was yet to be identified and police said he could be in his late twenties. The injured trio — Asif, Karan, and Sanjay — were admitted to Sushruta Trauma Centre.

“We were sleeping when a car ran over us. I don’t remember what happened after that … I fell unconsciou­s,” Sanjay said in hospital.

All of them were daily wage labourers and slept rough on footpaths at night.

“Chugh has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and rash driving. He doesn’t have a driving licence,” Jatin Narwal, deputy commission­er of police (North), said.

A city court sent the teenager to judicial custody till May 4.

A medical examinatio­n was conducted to find out if he was driving under the influence of alcohol.

Chugh’s family contended that he wasn’t guilty as the tyre burst cause the accident.

It was also learnt that the teenager is epileptic and his parents don’t allow him to drive cars and two-wheelers as he often suffered seizures, police said.

His father runs a shop selling leather bags in Sadar Bazar. The car belongs to a garment trader in Chandni Chowk.

“At Sadiqi, the BSF personnel and Pakistani Rangers march and lower the national flags in their respective territorie­s, while at Wagah and Hussainiwa­la, their counterpar­ts cross the Radcliffe Line, shake hands and lower the flags,” the official said.

Radcliffe Line is the border that was drawn up during India’s partition.

The plan to upgrade Sadiqi was mooted at a joint meeting held between the BSF and the Rangers.

Sources said an approval from the Union government is expected soon and work to shift the retreat ceremony to the Zero Line will start in a month.

“The distance between the spot where the retreat ceremony is held at Sadiqi will be reduced by 20 metres on each side. This will draw more tourists,” the BSF official said.

No constructi­on, such as bunkers, will be allowed within 150 metres on either side of the border at Sadiqi, the two sides defined.

“All CBSE-affiliated schools were required to follow the directions provided in a circular issued on 12.04.2016 regarding the use of NCERT /CBSE textbooks, but the board often receives reports regarding the pressure exercised by schools on children to buy textbooks other than NCERT/CBSE,” the circular read.

The CBSE, which provides affiliatio­n to over 18,000 schools across the country, has started issuing showcause notices to institutio­ns found violating its norms. The board even withdrew its affiliatio­n from a few schools in UP after noticing discrepanc­ies in their functionin­g.

The letter then went on to note that the board has repeatedly warned schools against indulging in commercial activities. “However, it has been brought to the notice of the board through various complaints that schools are still selling books and uniforms within the school premises, or through select vendors,” the circular read.

The document further stated that as per rule 19.1 (ii) of the CBSE Affiliatio­n By-Laws, institutio­ns such as societies, trusts and companies registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act1956 should ensure that schools are run as a community service, and not as a business venture. This means that the educationa­l institutio­ns concerned shouldn’t indulge in any kind of commercial activity, it added.

“Introducin­g destinatio­n buses would surely help, but it should be a part of the larger plan of a ‘stratified bus service’. Making bus service more convenient and attractive for different user groups is the only way now to push ridership. Bengaluru has already implemente­d this and it has been well received by people,” said Anumita Rouchowdhu­ry, executive director at Centre for Science and Environmen­t.

The DTC has proposed 20 trips of air-conditione­d buses, while the DIMTS said it would run 26 non-AC bus trips.

The NGT will take a call on the final routes from what the two operators have proposed.

Officials said a few other business hubs like Netaji Subhash Place, ITO, Connaught Place, Barakhamba Road and Laxmi Nagar Scope building are likely to be connected in a subsequent phase.

“Once the service begins, a survey will be done to find out whether those using the destinatio­n buses have actually given up their cars or are the same ones who already using buses. The NGT has asked to run buses on routes where ridership or revenue is the least,” a transport department official said.

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