GUWAHATI:
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Assam Police, on March 10, arrested a person identified as Rafiur Rahman from Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu (TN) in connection with the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 2.57 crore from the official bank of Assam Electronics Development Corporation (AMTRON).
The amount was transferred from AMTRON, a state government undertaking, at the Panbazaar Branch of Bank of Maharashtra, to an account of ICICI Bank, Salem branch, from where it went to HDFC Bank and Equitas Small Finance Bank (ESFB), Pudukuttai, Tamil Nadu.
Earlier on February 9, the CID had charge-sheeted two accused – Rahul Lochan Huzuri and Shankar Anbalagan – in connection with the case. By then, Rahman had fled to Singapore to evade arrest.
The CID Superintendent of Police (SP) released an official statement that reads, “His passport and detailed address were traced by the CID, which issued the lookout notice to the Bureau of Immigration (BoI), New Delhi. On March 8, he was detained at Trichy Airport in TN, on his way back from Singapore.”
“The immigration officials caught him based on the lookout notice. A CID team immediately rushed to TN and arrested the accused and brought him back to Guwahati,” the SP said.
Notably, on November 12, 2021, the CID arrested Huzuri, an account officer of the AMTRON after the company’s bank account, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), was hacked, followed by the looting of Rs 2.50 crore through online transfer on November 8.
According to the bank statement, the amount was transferred to a firm named Tarasis from where it went to another firm. It also reported tampering by the Panbaazar branch of the Bank of Maharashtra.
Following this, AMTRON authorities lodged two complaints at Panbaazar police station and Assam CID on November 10 and 11, respectively. In response, CID Assam registered a case under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 66 IT Act and launched an investigation.
“CID Assam swung into action and through the online helpline no 155260 immediately froze Rs 121,61,372 in the receiver’s account at Salem Branch of ICICI Bank,” an official statement said.
Soon after, Huzuri was questioned, wherein it was revealed that he instructed the Bank of Maharashtra, Panbaazar Branch to transfer Rs 2.50 crore to a third party with no business relation with AMTRON.
After searching various places in Tamil Nadu, including houses of the co-accused, the CID collected documentary evidence and arrested Anbalagan.