Bhubaneswar, Jan 27: Two individuals from Noida have been handed down a ten-year rigorous imprisonment sentence in connection with a Rs 2 crore cheating case. The OPID court in Balasore also levied a fine of Rs 3 lakh each on the convicts, warning of an additional two years of imprisonment if the fines are not paid.

Bijay Bharadwaj and Himanshu Bhandari were found guilty under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. Their arrest followed a complaint by businessman Pramod Kumar Rout from Joda, Keonjhar, alleging that the duo defrauded him of Rs 2.35 crores by promising Rs 3 crores from the Government of India under the 'Pradhan Mantri Rahat Kosh Yojana', using forged documents related to his insurance policy with Max New York Life.

The scam unfolded when Rout received a call from someone posing as A. K Walia, claiming to be from the Ministry of Finance, who informed him of the supposed reward. Further communications, including a letter on WhatsApp purportedly from the Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India, instructed Rout to pay dues to receive the promised funds.

Tricked by these communications, Rout transferred approximately Rs 2.35 crores in multiple transactions as directed by various individuals posing as employees of Walia's office. However, no reward money was forthcoming. Realizing he had been deceived, Rout filed a complaint with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

The case underscores the importance of vigilance against sophisticated fraud schemes and the need for swift legal action to bring perpetrators to justice.

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