Nagpur police have arrested four individuals involved in a massive Rs155 crore fraud where fake companies were registered using genuine identities, including that of Biswajit Roy, who became an unsuspecting victim.
Authorities revealed that the accused formed 50 to 60 bogus companies to channel black money through Hawala transactions, fabricating invoices to simulate legitimate business.
The scam surfaced after Roy, a food stall owner from West Bengal who moved to Nagpur in June 2024, approached police upon realizing his identity was misused. Roy was introduced to the accused group by a friend and was promised profit shares after submitting his Aadhaar and PAN cards.
The fraudsters registered a fake company in Roy’s name, opened bank accounts, and conducted nearly Rs96.39 crore in suspicious transactions between September and December 2024. Roy was even given a SIM card in his name and an initial payment of Rs25,000 to gain his trust.
The accused, including businessmen Bunty Shahu, Jayesh Shahu, Avinash Shahu, Rishi Lakhani, Anand Harde, Rajesh Shahu, Brijkishore Manihar, and Anshul Mishra, have been arrested, and the case is being investigated under the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS) at Lakadganj police station.
Police believe the actual scale of the fraud may be larger, with ongoing probes into related fake companies.
