On 7 occasions, Ayodhya conman got police security during his Varanasi trips, the latest just days before his arrest
Fresh FIR in Varanasi says Anoop Kumar Chaudhary moved around the city with a police gunner claiming official visit as member of railway ministry, FCI
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Anoop Kumar Chaudhary (Express Photo) Fraudster Anoop Kumar Chaudhary, who was arrested in Ayodhya last week, has now been booked by Varanasi Police in another case of forgery. Police have alleged that Chaudhary used fake documents to avail police security on at least seven occasions when he visited Varanasi this year, the latest just days before his arrest in Ayodhya by the Special Task Force of UP Police.
“Chaudhary used to send emails to senior administrative officials like authorities Varanasi Police Commissioner and Additional District Magistrate (Protocol) asking for security cover during his visit to Varanasi. In the letters, Chaudhary claimed to be a member of the Ministry of Railways, Food Corporation of India, and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Without sensing any wrongdoing, the officials forwarded the letters to the VIP cell with the direction to provide security to him as per the protocol,” said a police officer involved in the investigation.
“In the emails, Chaudhary used to claim that he needed to visit different temples and other places, including railway stations, to meet people for official work. Chaudhary used to stay two to three days in the district,” the officer said.
According to Varanasi Police, they started collecting details about Chaudhary, a resident of Ayodhya, following his arrest last week.
“There was direction from senior authorities to check Chaudhary’s record. During our inquiry, it came to light that Chaudhary was provided a police gunner as security by Varanasi Police on seven occasions in January, March, April, May, July, and October this year,” the officer added.
The FIR against Chaudhary has been filed on a complaint filed by Inspector Raghav Prasad, the in-charge of Varanasi Police’s VIP cell. Chaudhary has been booked under IPC sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) among others.
Chaudhary, who is facing multiple charges pertaining to cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy in 10 cases registered in UP, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan, was arrested along with his driver Firoz Alam, a resident of Uttarakhand, by UP Special Task Force (UP STF) from the Circuit House in Ayodhya on October 23.
The Uttarakhand government had even announced a reward of Rs 15,000 on Chaudhary.
Notably, when Chaudhary was arrested, a Ghaziabad police gunner, Pawan Kumar, was seen accompanying him in his SUV. The gunner was later suspended for going to Ayodhya without authorisation. Mayank Arora, the VIP cell in-charge at Ghaziabad Commissionerate, said in his complaint that Chaudhary had got approval for the gunner from the police on multiple occasions since 2020.
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