Gang of fraudsters busted; ‘Bunty’ held, ‘Babli’ at large

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 14

The J&K Police have busted Kashmir’s “Bunty and Babli gang”. The gang, the police claim, has cheated more than 30 business establishments in the last six months.

While the police have arrested Tahir Amin and Waheed Ahmad Bhat of Batamallo, Srinagar, Tahir’s wife Masrat, who is part of the module, is still at large. “The gang used social media applications and websites like OLX.com to cheat gullible customers by buying used electronic articles like cell phones, ovens, LED TVs, etc, against fake bank cheques,” a police spokesman said. “Similarly, they also used to buy articles from renowned showrooms of the Valley. Fake cheques of Axis Bank, SBI and Punjab National Bank were used by them to make payments for the purchases.”

The duo was arrested by the Ram Munshi Bagh police station after getting a written complaint from a businessman of the Sonwar area. Accordingly, a case under Section 420 of the Ranbir Penal Code was registered. “During investigation, dozens of other instances of cheating by the gang came forth and gadgets and articles worth lakhs of rupees were recovered from them,” he said, adding that the trio have cheated more than 30 business establishments across the Valley during the last six months.

Meanwhile, the Srinagar Police have claimed to have arrested a drug peddler of Shopian and recovered charas from his possession. The police said Bashir Ahmad Hajam of Melhoora, Shopian, was arrested during patrolling of the area by sleuths of the Ram Munshi Bagh police station led by Inspector Mohammad Ishaq.