Donations Scandal: One Arrested for Depositing 2.80 Crores in National Congress Party’s Bank Account
Cyber Crime Police have swiftly arrested a suspect for impersonating an NPCI official and fraudulently opening bank accounts to solicit donations. The accused had set up a fake company under the guise of NPCI’s name and used it to open bank accounts. Additionally, the suspect issued counterfeit receipts to individuals who contributed funds. Police investigations have uncovered 86 victims of such scams. Furthermore, the accused refunded 10% of the donated amount while keeping the rest.
Hemangbhai Harshadbhai Shah, residing in Bodakdev, has been associated with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for the past five years, serving as a treasurer. Political parties receive a 100% rebate on donations from the Income Tax department. Exploiting this, an individual created a social media post containing details of a bank account under the name of NPCI, soliciting donations. Upon investigation by Hemangbhai, it was discovered that the account number shared on social media belonged to Bandhan Bank. Moreover, individuals making donations to this account were provided with a fabricated slip bearing NPCI’s name. Consequently, Hemangbhai Shah lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police regarding this matter.
Based on this information, the police initiated an investigation. Through technical analysis, the suspect Mohammed Amir Sheikh was apprehended. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to enticing people by promising tax benefits under the guise of election fund donations. Over the past six months, he had opened an account and solicited donations through social media, collecting money from 86 individuals under the name of NPCI.
Subsequently, the Income Tax department initiated an investigation, and the suspect, under the name of NPCI, was also traced. Upon scrutiny of the accounts held at Bandhan Bank, it was found that a total of 2.80 crores were deposited after November 2023. This information could lead to further inquiries involving other individuals as well. Currently, the Cyber Crime department is examining this information to uncover any irregularities.
