Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, Feb 18: In a significant breakthrough, the Naharlagun Police recovered 16 luxury vehicles in connection with multiple fraud cases registered at Naharlagun Police Station, a senior officer said on Wednesday.
Naharlagun Superintendent of Police Dr Nyelam Nega said the operation was led by SDPO Rishi Longdo along with Inspector Krishnanendu Dev (OC, PS Naharlagun), SI Vivek Linggi, SI Tapu Sarkar and SI SK Singh.
The recoveries were made in connection with cases registered under Sections 316(4), 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The accused has been identified as Rupjyoti Das (38), a resident of Dathgaon, Kamalpur in Kamrup district of Assam.
The seized vehicles included Toyota Fortuner - 1, Mahindra Scorpio S11 - 7, Mahindra XUV300 - 2, Kia Seltos - 2, and one apiece Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Creta, Maruti Jimny, and Mahindra Bolero.
Investigation revealed that the accused allegedly posed as a Cluster Head of HSBC Bank and falsely claimed that the vehicles were genuine bank e-auctioned vehicles. He reportedly acquired around 71 vehicles on a rental basis from Assam, paid rent for a few months to gain the trust of vehicle owners, and then fraudulently sold them to unsuspecting buyers in Arunachal Pradesh.
Preliminary investigation indicates that more than 40 vehicles were sold using this method, with buyers being assured that relevant documents would be provided later. The case has links to several police stations in Assam, including Hatigaon, Basistha, Noonmati, Tangla and Udalguri.
All recovered vehicles have been handed over to either Assam Police or to their rightful owners following due legal procedures. The accused is currently in police custody at Naharlagun Police Station, and further investigation is underway to recover additional vehicles and identify more victims.
SP Dr Nyelam Nega urged the public to remain vigilant and verify vehicle documents with transport authorities, banks and police before entering into any financial transactions to avoid falling victim to such fraud.