Mumbai: The special PMLA court has refused to prosecute whistleblower Abhishek Gupta, a Chartered Accountant, booked by ED for money laundering in connection with the Torres fraud case.

Observation Made By The Judge

While dropping prosecution against Gupta, the special judge RB Rote, said: “There is no material/evidence to indicate that accused No.10 (Gupta) is actually involved in any process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime. Therefore, considering the limited role assigned against accused No.10, it shows that there are no sufficient grounds for proceeding against accused No.10 for the offence under PMLA.”

“Despite being aware of financial irregularities and non-compliance, he failed to take timely action or report these issues to the relevant authorities. His delay in raising alarms suggests that he knowingly facilitated the management’s illegal business dealings. The accused No.10, the Auditor, appears to have reported the irregularities and non-compliance in his audit report,” the court further said.

It, however, referred to the ruling of the Bombay High Court, where a Statutory Auditor and Chartered Accountant were discharged. The court, however, ordered to proceed against the other 12 accused, namely, M/s Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd (PHPL) – Torres Jewellery, Alpesh Khara, Sagar Paresh Mehta, Oleksandr Zapichenko alias Alex, Olena Stoian, Viktoria Kovalenko, Sarvesh Ashok Surve, Tausif Reyaz alias John Carter, Lallan Jamedar Singh, Tazagul Khasatova alias Tanya, Astrozen Pharma Pvt Ltd, and Prisah Advisory Pvt Ltd.

The Enforcement agency has claimed that, PHPL company lured the investors into a fraudulent investment scheme under the guise of high returns and lucrative rewards. The company enticed the customers by promising exaggerated weekly returns ranging from 2% to 9% on investments in gold, silver, original diamond jewellery, and precious gemstones, particularly targeting those looking to invest in these assets. ED claimed that they offered “Investment Bonuses” of 20% for bringing in new investors, creating a chain-like referral system.

“The sales officers at the showrooms misled the customers by conducting seminars, advertising high returns and offering lucky draws with the chance to win luxury cars and expensive mobile phones, giving an impression of legitimacy. In reality, the company marketed synthetic moissanite stones, which were much cheaper than diamonds, as high-value investments, promising that their value would increase in the future, akin to diamonds,” ED said, claiming that the value of the proceeds of crime as of now is Rs 177.11 crore.

The police have launched an investigation against two persons who used illegal online gaming platforms to dupe people by inducing them to use the gaming apps and promised them huge profits.

According to the police, the complainant is assistant police inspector S.B. Kasule (40), a resident of Dharashiv. The police had received information about two persons who were duping people by giving false promises of providing high returns on playing online games.

Accused Lured Victims via WhatsApp with Login IDs and Promises of High Returns

The police who were armed by the mobile numbers of the accused persons, then tracked the location and found the accused persons operating at Talwale village and found to be running three illegal online gaming platforms which promoted gambling. Their questioning of the accused persons further revealed information about two other persons from Beed and Nanded who had provided them with a login ID and password to use the gaming platforms.

Cyber Crime Police Register Case Under IT Act and Gambling Laws

“Analysis of their WhatsApp data has revealed that they had provided gaming app links through WhatsApp to several people and induced them to play games by giving them login ID and password and took money from them online by promising them good returns,” said a police officer. A case has been registered by the cyber crime police recently 318 (cheating) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, sections 66C (identity theft), 66D (cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act and provisions of Maharashtra Prevention Of Gambling Act.

Cops Caution Public Against Unverified Gaming Apps, Share Cyber Safety Tips

“Download apps only from authentic sources such as Google Play, Apple Store and official websites. Ensure that app permissions requested by the game app are relevant and necessary, check the game app publisher’s information to ensure website legitimacy, never share your personal information such as bank account details with game app and beware of in-app purchases and subscription offers that seem too good to be true. Report any suspicious activity to the game developer and to the payment provider immediately and if any such game scam occurs call 1930 or report a complaint on www.cybercrime.gov.in,” said a police officer.

Vasai (Maharashtra): In a chilling case from Vasai, which is 25 kilometres away from Mumbai, the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police arrested a 32-year-old man for allegedly murdering his 61-year-old stepmother after she refused to give him money to continue playing an online game. The accused’s father has also been arrested for his role in helping cover up the crime.

Family Claimed Elderly Woman Died Due To Fall, Last Rites Conducted

The victim, Arshia Khusru, was a resident of Periyar Apartment in Vasai West. She died on July 26 and her family claimed she had suffered a fatal fall. Based on that account, her last rites were conducted without a postmortem. However, discrepancies in the circumstances surrounding her death led the police to launch an investigation.

During the probe, officers arrested Imran Khusru, Arshia’s stepson, who later confessed to the murder. Imran was deeply addicted to an online game and desperately needed Rs 1.8 lakh to fund his gaming.

When Arshia refused to give him the money, an enraged Imran allegedly slammed her head against a wall corner and kicked her in the face, leading to fatal injuries. After committing the crime, he is said to have stolen her gold jewellery.

Accused’s Father Helped In Covering Crime

The case took a darker turn when police discovered the involvement of Imran’s father, Amir Ismail Khusru (65), in attempting to destroy evidence and mislead authorities. Amir allegedly used his personal connections to procure a fake death certificate stating that Arshia had died from a fall. He then persuaded the family to proceed with her funeral based on the false cause of death, avoiding an autopsy.

Cops say the father-son duo went to great lengths to cover up the murder. It was only through persistent efforts by the police that the truth came to light. The stolen jewellery and other key evidence have reportedly been recovered. Both accused are currently in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.