Kanpur police on Monday arrested Mahtab Alam, a habitual offender, for his involvement in a gang that created fake firms by misusing people's documents. The accused also intimidated victims and prepared forged papers to carry out fraud. He was later sent to judicial custody.
Complaint and Investigation
According to police, the case came to light on April 24, when Chakeri police station received a complaint from Nitin Kumar, a resident of Juhi Parampurwa. A labourer by profession, Nitin alleged that his friend Shiva, along with associates Aakash, Mahfooz Alam alias Pappu Churi and Mahtab, misused his Aadhaar and PAN cards. The accused allegedly obtained a fake SIM card in his name, secured a GST number, and created a firm named Ravi Enterprises, which they operated for illegal activities.
Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). During investigation, it was found that transactions worth Rs 75,07,283 had been carried out through the account of Ravi Enterprises over the past six months. Police said further evidence in the case is being collected.
Previous Cases
Mahtab was also wanted in several fraud cases registered at Jajmau police station under sections 318(4), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 351(3) and 308(5) of BNS. In one case, a woman named Aarti was allegedly duped on the pretext of getting an insurance card made at a hospital. Her documents were taken and used to create a fraudulent firm named Aarti Enterprises. In another case, complainant Shahnawaz alleged that he was similarly deceived under the pretext of insurance services, with his documents used to create a fake firm named Raja Enterprises, which was then operated for unlawful purposes.
Ongoing Investigation
Police said further investigation is underway to identify other members of the gang and trace the financial trail. Authorities are also examining bank records and digital evidence to uncover the full extent of the fraud.
