Man booked for duping combine manufacturing company of Rs 6.8 lakh

Tribune News Service

Nabha, May 18

A Bangaluru resident has been booked for allegedly duping PREET GROUP, combine harvester and agricultural tractor manufacturer, of Rs 6.8 lakh on the pretext of getting company’s products registered in Iraq.

The accused has been identified as Mohammed Laiq Uz Zaman.     

Gurpreet Singh, director, Preet Combine, told the police that he had held a meeting with the accused on April 18, 2016, at the latter’s office in Delhi where he was accompanied by Ravdeep Singh Bhandari of AK International. 

He said the accused had told him that he was the chief executive officer of an Iraq-based company and he would help him get his company’s tractors and combines registered in Iraq. 

Gurpreet said the accused told him that he would need US$ 20,000 out of which US$ 10,000 would be spent by him. 

He said the accused had also visited Nabha on April 21, 2016, and told him that he needed the money to initiate the application process without any delay. 

Gurpreet said, “I had transferred Rs 6.8 lakh (US$ 10,000) to the accused’s bank account in Bangaluru. Thereafter, the accused made excuses for two to three months on one pretext or the other when he was asked about the process. Later, I received an email from Ravdeep Bhandari in which the accused had sent the certificate of registration issued by Department of Registration, Ministry of Trade and Industries, Republic of Iraq. Bhandari had told me that the accused had asked him to forward the email to me. When I got the certificate verified from the Iraq embassy in Delhi, it turned out to be fake.” 

The complainant asked the accused to return his money, but his two cheques were bounced due to insufficient amount in the accused’s account.      

Gurpreet said he filed a complaint with the SSP, Patiala, who marked an inquiry to the District Attorney (Legal). After getting the report from the department concerned, a case under Sections 420, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)  against the accused at the Kotwali police station.