Two arrested for defrauding Noida Authority of Rs 3.9 crore

“The mastermind has been identified as Manu Bhola, who had been absconding,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Noida, Shakti Mohan Avasthy. He said a joint team from the crime branch and Sector 58 police station arrested Bhola from Kabir Palace Hotel in Karol Bagh, Delhi, on Friday, along with his accomplice, Tridib Das.

“Those arrested used to commit fraud by getting information on bank accounts of several government departments. Then they would plan to take power of attorney to operate those accounts using forged documents,” said Avasthy.

During interrogation, Bhola told the police that the Rs 3.9 crore that they had successfully swindled from the Noida Authority’s account had been divided equally among them and five others of the gang.

The fraud came to light on July 5, 2023, when the suspect tried to transfer Rs 9 crore again from the same account, according to authority officials, who filed an FIR at the Sector 58 police station on the same day. While Rs 3.9 crore was fraudulently transferred out of the authority’s account by a miscreant, the Bank of India successfully stopped the transfer of another Rs 9 crore in a second fraudulent transaction, officials said.

“Seven types of stamp seals, five Aadhaar cards, two PAN cards, 14 debit/credit cards, five chequebooks, two passbooks and about 115 printed documents of different private and government companies have also been recovered,” said Avasthy.