In a major breakthrough, Jhansi police on Saturday arrested an alleged interstate conman accused of orchestrating a sophisticated banking fraud that siphoned off Rs 40 lakh belonging to Ajay Kumar Singh, the grandson of legendary hockey icon Major Dhyan Chand. The fraud involved forged documents and suspected collusion within a bank.
Details of the Arrest
The accused, identified as Sameer Samonto (49), a resident of West Bengal's Hooghly district, was taken into custody while allegedly preparing to flee Jhansi. During the operation, police recovered Rs 94,000 in cash and jewellery worth approximately Rs 1.68 lakh, which he is believed to have purchased from branded showrooms using the fraudulently obtained money. Several filled cheques, cheque books, mobile phones and SIM cards suspected to be linked to the scam were also seized from his possession.
Modus Operandi
According to police, the victim, Ajay Kumar Singh, a petrol pump owner and grandson of the hockey legend, had sent Rs 40 lakh to a Central Bank branch through his security guard for transfer via RTGS on Tuesday. Investigators alleged that the accused cleverly swapped the original pay-in slip with a forged document during the transaction process, redirecting the entire amount to an account named "Sukuhumandi" at a Punjab and Sind Bank branch in Bardhaman district of Bengal.
Revealing the modus operandi, SP City Preety Singh said the accused confessed that he carried out similar banking frauds in different parts of the country using at least eight bank accounts operated in his name. Samonto arrived in Jhansi on May 31 and spent several days surveying banks before identifying a suitable target. While the victim's security guard was completing the RTGS formalities at the bank counter, the accused allegedly managed to replace the genuine transaction documents with forged papers, allowing him to divert the funds to an account under his control.
Investigation and Recovery
Police have registered a case against Samonto and an unidentified bank employee suspected of facilitating the fraud. Officials said timely action enabled them to freeze nearly Rs 37 lakh lying in the accused's bank account, preventing a major portion of the stolen money from being siphoned off and significantly reducing the victim's financial loss. Efforts are underway to trace and recover the remaining amount.
Background of the Fraud
The fraud came to light when the intended transaction failed to reach its designated account. Following the discovery, Singh lodged a complaint at Sipri Bazar police station against an unidentified individual and a suspected bank employee. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Accused's Confession
During questioning, Samonto allegedly admitted that such frauds were his primary source of livelihood and claimed that he rarely returned to a city after executing a scam. Investigators are now probing the possible role of a bank employee and examining whether a larger network was involved in facilitating the fraud.
Further Investigations
Police said further investigations are underway to determine the full scale of the accused's operations and identify any associates who may have helped execute similar scams across multiple states. The authorities are also looking into whether the accused had previously targeted other victims using similar methods.
