Non-existent crime wing, misuse of Union minister, ex-CJI's name: How duo defrauded job aspirants of Rs 25 lakh
Sometime in 2017-18, Chennai resident Na Vijayshankar received the news he had been waiting for. He was told that he had been 'appointed' as a director in the 'Karnataka State Anti-Corruption and Anti-Crime (ACAC) Wing'. For the purpose, Vijayshankar had made a payment of ₹1 lakh to two men, Reningston Sales and Vincent Raju, to 'facilitate' the appointment.
While perusing his appointment letter, a particular line caught Vijayshankar's attention: It contained the name of a Minister for State purportedly 'intimating Chief Secretaries of all the States about the appointment of former CJI RM Lodha (Retired) as the President of ACAC Wing of India.'
He ran a quick Google search. Turned out, no such wing existed.
Realising that he had been duped, Vijayshankar reported the matter to the Central Vigilance Commission, which then forwarded the information to the CBI. Following a preliminary enquiry, an FIR was lodged against Sales and Raju in 2022.
As per the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Vijayshankar was not the only one. With the same modus operandi, the accused had duped multiple people of a total amount of Rs 25 lakh.
The duo, claimed the agency, also relied on a forged letter purportedly issued by a former President addressed to ex-CJI Lodha congratulating him for 'accepting the position of National President of ACAC Wing of India'.
These forged documents were enough to coax multiple persons into giving the duo lakhs for the 'plum position' at ACAC, said officers.
The officers said the accused, using forged documents, opened a bank account in which the money sent by various victims in the form of 'membership fee' of the wing was deposited.
Officers said the accused took amounts ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per membership for their victims. Rs 10.75 lakh from the total amount was withdrawn and diverted for personal use of the accused, they added.
'They had created a fake email ID in the name of rmlodha.justice@gmail.com, which was used in commission of the offence. The recovery phone number in this email ID was found to belong to Mr. Reningston Sales (A-1). The information received from Google Inc also showed that fake email IDs were prepared from the same IP address of Mr. Reningston Sale (A-1),' alleged the CBI.
A Zonal Office, at No. 44A, 18th Avenue, Ashok Nagar, Chennai, was given on rent to Raju, who had put up a board of 'ACAB' on his premises; Reningston Sales used to visit this address,' alleged the CBI as per the Court order.
Their 'head office' in Paharganj existed only on paper.
'From the allegations in the charge sheet and the documents filed along with the charge sheet, there is sufficient material on record to take cognizance for commission of offences punishable under Section 120B r/w Section 420/471 IPC and Section 7 r/w Section 3 of the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005 and substantive offences thereof,' said Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Nishant Garg of Rouse Avenue Court in his order dated May 23. The court has summoned the accused persons to appear before it on August 22.
Sales and Raju had earlier been granted anticipatory bail by the Delhi High Court.
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