GUWAHATI: A case has been registered by the Crime Branch against Ashim Kumar Das, B.N. Sarma, Deva Prakash Bhagawati, and others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (178, 179, 180, 308, 316, 318, 336, 340, 351/61 BNS) for defrauding Noida-based Prontastic IT (Pvt) Ltd of ₹4 crore. The accused issued a fake work order for the supply of 75,000 bed sheets and pillow covers under the guise of a contract with the Adivasi Welfare and Development Council, Assam.
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The accused, led by Ashim Kr Das and Deva Prakash Bhagawati, lured Sunny Brezza, the complainant, by showing a fraudulent ₹250 crore work order in the name of the Adivasi Welfare and Development Council. They promised the complainant and his brothers that they could secure the contract without formal tender participation, promising high profits.
The victim initially agreed to a smaller deal worth ₹4 crore, involving the supply of bed sheets and pillow covers. The accused convinced them to deposit ₹85.4 lakhs as a security deposit through their bank accounts.
The complainant was taken to Guwahati, where Ashim Kr Das and associates arranged meetings with fake officials, including a man impersonating B.N. Sarma, a "Joint Secretary" of the Assam government. The victim was further tricked with a staged meeting in the Assam Secretariat.
After the complainant’s company dispatched the goods from Noida to Guwahati, the trucks were directed to a warehouse in Changsari. Once the goods were delivered, the accused began avoiding the complainant, raising suspicions.
Investigations revealed that Ashim Kr Das and his associates impersonated government officials and fabricated documents, including work orders and purchase orders, using counterfeit seals and stamps. These fake documents were used to deceive businesses into lucrative but fraudulent contracts.
A separate case in Dispur police station is also under investigation against the same group for defrauding Manpho Exports, a Bangalore-based company, of ₹3.77 crore through similar tactics involving a fake work order from the Assam Disaster Management Authority.
The following are the accused arrested in the case namely, Ashim Kumar Das (41), the main accused and kingpin of the operation, hails from Nagaon, Assam, Birinchi Borkotoki (61), a retired Publicity Officer who impersonated the Joint Secretary, resides in Kamrup (M), Assam, and Niranjan Das (39), a broker who facilitated entry into the Assam Secretariat, also from Kamrup (M), Assam.
The police have seized fake documents and are continuing the investigation to uncover further fraudulent activities by this group, which is suspected of cheating multiple businesses using the same scheme.