EOW Kashmir Chargesheets Four In ₹15 Lakh Fake Cooking Oil Scam; Probe Exposes Bogus Company

Srinagar, Jul 30: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of the Crime Branch Jammu and Kashmir has filed a chargesheet against four accused in connection with a ₹15 lakh cheating case involving a fake cooking oil company, officials said on Thursday. The chargesheet in FIR No. 77/2022 has been filed before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) following the completion of the investigation. The accused have been identified as Mohd Amin Bhat of Khanyar, Srinagar; Khalid Hussain Khan of Gasiyar Hawal, Srinagar; Anil Kumar Maheshwari of Jhotwara, Jaipur, Rajasthan; and Shashank Kumar of Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. According to the Crime Branch, the case stemmed from a complaint alleging that the accused induced the complainant to deposit ₹15 lakh as security for the supply of edible cooking oil. They allegedly claimed to be representatives of M/s Assured Agro Food Industries and assured the complainant that the company manufactured cooking oil and would deliver the consignment within a week. Despite receiving the security amount, the accused allegedly failed to supply the promised stock, prompting the complainant to approach the Crime Branch. During the investigation, the EOW found that the accused had allegedly conspired to cheat the complainant under the pretext of supplying mustard oil. Verification with the Registrar of Companies, Rajasthan, revealed that no company named M/s Assured Agro Food Industries was registered, exposing the firm’s alleged fraudulent existence. Investigators also established the alleged involvement of Shashank Kumar, who was projected as the owner of the non-existent company and is believed to have played a key role in the conspiracy. Following completion of the probe, the Crime Branch submitted the chargesheet before the competent court for judicial proceedings against all four accused. The Economic Offences Wing has advised the public to verify the credentials of companies before entering into financial or business transactions and to immediately report suspected economic fraud or financial scams to the SSP, EOW Kashmir, or through the agency’s official complaint channels.