Shillong: West Garo Hills police have dismantled an interstate criminal syndicate that attempted to defraud a Gujarat-based businessman of Rs 46 crore using forged Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) documents. The arrests followed an investigation into a racket that utilized counterfeit work orders and fake non-tribal trading licences to deceive victims.
The operation centered on a businessman from Surat, who was targeted by the gang through the use of fraudulent trading documents. These licences are typically subject to strict legal protections under the Sixth Schedule, yet the syndicate manufactured forgeries to provide a facade of legitimacy to their bogus contracts. The suspects had already extracted Rs 3 lakh from the victim and were demanding a 4% commission on the fake Rs 46 crore deal when they were intercepted at a Guwahati hotel on June 12.
Six suspects have been taken into custody, including Taposh Mukherjee from Haryana and five others from various locations across Assam, such as Guwahati, Golaghat, and Bongaigaon. Authorities recovered Rs 50,000 in cash along with multiple forged licences and work orders. West Garo Hills SP Abraham T Sangma emphasized the sophisticated nature of the group, stating, "The evidence points toward an organised criminal network dedicated to creating fake government documents for financial gain."
The investigation began after the Secretary of the GHADC filed an FIR on May 7 regarding the use of counterfeit paperwork. As police continue to search for additional members of the network, they have urged traders and contractors to verify the authenticity of all government documents directly with the issuing authority to avoid similar schemes.
Comments