In a joint operation, police from Chandmari and Pradhan Nagar Police Stations in Siliguri busted an interstate car rental scam involving fraudulent leasing and illegal renting of vehicles across Assam, West Bengal, and Nepal.
The prime accused, Somnath Mukherjee, a resident of Kolkata, was arrested in connection with the scam. Cases have been registered against him at both police stations.
Junmoni Kalita, officer-in-charge of Chandmari Police Station, stated that Mukherjee gained the trust of car owners through a rental app by posing as a regular customer. He then informally leased cars from owners in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh without legal documentation and rented them out illegally in Siliguri and Nepal.
An officer from the Chandmari investigation team added, “Mukherjee had carried out similar fraudulent activities across West Bengal before targeting this region. We received an FIR last Sunday from a Chandmari resident who reported being scammed. Our probe revealed multiple victims across different areas.”
During the investigation, eight vehicles were recovered — six registered in Kamrup (Metro) and two from Arunachal Pradesh — all now in police custody.
The police are continuing their investigation to determine if Mukherjee acted alone or was part of a larger criminal network. He remains in custody at Pradhan Nagar Police Station.
