A resident of Bally, Howrah, was allegedly cheated out of Rs2 lakh by a gang promising to arrange a personal loan of Rs8 lakh. The victim, Sayan Adhikary, paid the money as supposed processing and verification charges, only to later realize the offer was fake.
The fraud came to light after Adhikary filed a complaint at the Narayanpur police station under the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate earlier this week. Following the investigation, police arrested five individuals on Tuesday.
According to the FIR, when Adhikary demanded a refund on July 23, he was locked inside a room and forced to sign a written undertaking. On Tuesday, he was again harassed — his mobile phone was allegedly snatched at a garment office in Rajarhat, which is owned by one of the accused.
The arrested individuals were identified as:
Nayan Debnath (Habra)
Mohammad Motiur Rahaman (Diamond Harbour)
Navin Mall (Jorabagan)
Sheikh Moniruddin Ahmed (Baguiati)
Praveen Mall (Baguiati)
Police have recovered evidence linking them to the fraudulent loan scheme and are probing if others were similarly duped.
