Man Arrested for Rs 66 Lakh Fraud Under the Guise of NGO; Police Register Case

Major Fraud Uncovered in Raghaogarh

A sensational fraud case has emerged in the Raghaogarh police station area of Guna district, where an individual allegedly extorted approximately Rs 66 lakh from a local resident by promising to establish an NGO and secure foreign funding.

Following instructions from the Superintendent of Police, Guna, the Raghaogarh police have registered a criminal case against the accused under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and initiated an investigation.

Modus Operandi: Exploiting Employees' Documents

The scam was orchestrated by the accused, Pramod Singh, while he was residing as a tenant in the house of the complainant, Rana Pratap Singh, in 2022. This information surfaced during the police investigation based on the complaint filed.

As per the report filed by Assistant Sub-Inspector Sitaram Dhurve, Pramod Singh, originally from Gaya district in Uttar Pradesh, gained the trust of Rana Pratap Singh by claiming he intended to open an NGO with eight individuals from the SC/ST community. To facilitate this, the accused obtained identity documents of Rana Pratap's hotel employees, including Laxman Banjara, Phool Singh Banjara, Mangi Bai Jatav, Dhapu Bai Jatav, Dinesh Sweeper, Deepak Prajapati, and Mukesh Banjara.

Using these documents, he opened bank accounts in their names with Axis Bank and obtained SIM cards, chequebooks, and ATMs. The employees were lured with the promise of Rs 5,000 per month and Rs 50,000 annually for remaining in their jobs.

Financial Deception: Cash and Cheques Embezzled

Pramod Singh made false promises regarding the operation of the NGO and securing foreign funding. Between April 2022 and July 2024, he induced Rana Pratap and his wife, Kusum Singh, to transfer a total of Rs 45,37,117 into the employees' accounts, which the accused subsequently withdrew.

Additionally, he allegedly swindled approximately Rs 21 lakh in cash from the complainant in the name of the NGO. The accused also had the complainant pay for stamp papers worth lakhs of rupees with assurances of securing loans from Gujarat Corporation and foreign funding.

To further solidify his deception, Pramod Singh issued 20 cheques, each valued at Rs 10 lakh, from Yes Bank in the names of Rana Pratap and his wife. He instructed them to withdraw money from their accounts in February 2024, while he was in sole control of all accounts. Thus, the accused committed a total fraud amounting to Rs 66 lakh.

Legal Action Initiated

Based on bank statements and other evidence, the Raghaogarh police have registered a case against the accused and are proceeding with further legal action.