Thursday, September 27, 2012

The owner of City Limouzine, Sayyed M Masud, withdrew his criminal anticipatory bail application from the Bombay high court

City Limouzine boss’s bail cancelled

The owner of City Limouzine, Sayyed M Masud, withdrew his criminal anticipatory bail application from the Bombay high court. He had filed the plea after the the sessions court cancelled his bail plea on September 17.

His advocate AM Sachwani pleaded in the court of Justice AM Thipsay that the application had been inadvertently filed as an application for anticipatory bail, while the proper course would be to file a criminal application under section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.Pc.). The court allowed his application because he had stated that he would file a proper application invoking the powers of the court under Section 482 of the Cr.Pc.

Following the application of the main complainant Jinal Jhaveri, 33, the sessions court had allowed the cancellation of Masud’s bail earlier this month citing his non-compliance to the terms of his bail plea.

“Masud had promised the court that he would convene a meeting of the investors, including Jhaveri, to chalk out a plan for repayment of the investors within two months of his release from jail. However, he failed to keep his promise, upsetting the investors, who moved the court for his bail cancellation,”said Mubin Solkar, the advocate for intervenor.

Masud had told the court that he was ready and willing to liquidate his assets and make payments to the investors but his cash and demand drafts worth Rs67 crore had been seized by the enforcement Directorate and EOW. Apart from these, he also said that there was a threat to his life.

While allowing his bail cancellation, the sessions court had paid heed to Solkar’s submissions that he had furnished fake surety and the Cuff Parade police had also submitted a report that there was no building named Shahnaz Apartment in Mumbra nor a man named Shaikh Dastgir residing there. He also committed a breach on more than one condition and never visited the Cuff Parade police station as promised during bail.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Bikers stop car, snatch bizman’s Rs.30L jewellery

Bikers stop car, snatch bizman’s Rs.30L jewellery

Four people on two bikes covering their faces with cloth halted an Innova at Santa Cruz (West) and robbed a SantaCruz-based businessman of gold jewellery worth Rs30 lakh on Saturday.
Jayveer Singh Chandok, 27, resides in Gururamdas Nivas, Dhanpat Nagar in Santa Cruz (West). He mentioned in his complaint that he removed the ornaments from his bank locker in Bandra on Saturday noon and was returning home.
“When he reached at the Harsansingh Sethi Chowk near his house, four persons came on two motor bikes, overtook his car and stopped him. Two of them then got down from the bike and removed a pistol from their pocket and threatened him,” said senior police inspector Arun Chavan of the Santa Cruz police station.
“The robber then broke the window glass of the back door and took the bags from the rear seat of the car in which the gold ornaments were kept and fled away from the spot,” added Chavan.
“The robbers covered their faces with a piece of cloth, so the complainant could not see their faces. It seems that the robbers were keeping a watch on the complainant from the bank and it is sure that they were aware of the complainant carrying gold,” said another officer.
“A case has been registered against four unknown persons of robbery and arms act and we will inquire with the bank staff also,” said another officer.

Vasant Dhoble rounds up 3 for using illegal cylinders

Dhoble rounds up 3 for using illegal cylinders

Days after Vasant Dhoble was transferred from the Social Service branch of the Mumbai police, he has resumed his customary raids routine.
While earlier it was Mumbai’s clubs and pubs, Dhoble, the new assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Vakola division, has started conducting raids at vada pav stalls, paan shops and tea stalls in the city.
While patrolling on Saturday, Dhoble visited two vada pav stalls at Nehru Road, Santa Cruz (East) and caught three people using three commercial LPG cylinders and two domestic cylinders, all without official papers.
Dhoble approached Vakola police station and a case was registered against the three, who were subsequently arrested. They have been identified as Madan Gupta, 20, Ramsurat Prajapati, 35, and Himmatlal Gupta, 35.
“The accused have been arrested under section 285 of the IPC. We will investigate who supplied illegal cylinders to them and take action against them” said RG Pardeshi, senior police inspector, Vakola police station.
A police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Dhoble cannot sit peacefully and will be in action wherever he goes. After his transfer, he has incited fear amongst owners of tea stalls, paan shops and other roadside eateries in Vakola.”

Friday, September 21, 2012

Men on bike rob 6 women in 24 hours THE CHUNABHATTI POLICE HAVE PREPARED SKETCHES OF THE TWO MEN WHO ROBBED A HOUSEWIFE IN THE AREA ON THURSDAY.

Men on bike rob 6 women in 24 hours

THE CHUNABHATTI POLICE HAVE PREPARED SKETCHES OF THE TWO MEN WHO ROBBED A HOUSEWIFE IN THE AREA ON THURSDAY.

 Six women were robbed of their valuables in the city over 24 hours and all were targeted by bike-borne robbers. No arrests have been made so far.
In the first incident, Shobha Devatika, 49, was crossing the road at Dr BA Road, Matunga (East), around 4.15pm on Wednesday when two men on a bike snatched her gold mangalsutra worth Rs1lakh. An official from Matunga police said sketches of the two had been made.

In the second incident, 42-year-old housewife Swati Patil was travelling with her father-in-law and daughter in an autorickshaw around 5.15pm at Everard Nagar, Chunabhatti, when two men on a bike snatched her gold chain worth Rs 30,000.

In the third instance, 32-yearold housewife Anita Thorle, with her husband and two children, were going towards their Charkop residence on a motorbike around 9.15 pm when two men on a bike approached Thorle’s bike from behind and the pillion rider snatched her gold chain worth Rs 55,000.

On Thursday, around 7.20am at Jeevan Atmaram Raoul Marg, when Sanjana Karle, 32, was on her way to drop her child to school, two unidentified men on a bike snatched her gold mangalsutra and chain totally worth Rs 80,000, the Dadar police said.

Around 7.45am on Thursday, unidentified duo on a bike robbed a 65-year-old housewife Vandana Naik of her mangalsutra and chain worth Rs 70,000. She was jogging at Dr Rangnekar Marg opposite the Metro showroom.

In the sixth incident, around 10.45 am, when Seema Vagal, 60, was walking at Bhawani Shankar Road, two unidentified men on a bike fled with her gold chains worth Rs1.30 lakh, the Dadar police said.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Cyber scamsters use locals’ accounts Criminals operating from abroad convince locals to allow the use of their bank accounts to transfer money by promising a cut

Cyber scamsters use locals’ accounts

Criminals operating from abroad convince locals to allow the use of their bank accounts to transfer money by promising a cut

Cyber criminals have hit upon a new strategy: getting someone to allow the use of their bank account, and using it to transfer their ill-gotten gains to accounts abroad.
The local who allows the use of his/her bank account either gets a cut of the money made through fraud, or a specific sum agreed upon before the transaction. The flipside: the local is tracked down by the police, even as the main accused operating from abroad evade capture.
The cyber police have been busting rackets that cheat victims online by promising large sums as ‘prize money’. The police call this a Nigerian scam. The criminals, operating from abroad, use the bank accounts to conduct the transactions for the scam.
An officer said that some of the scamsters had agents in the city who scout for people — usually not very well off — and lure them into letting their bank accounts be used. “The beneficiary account holders either get a cut of the money, or are given Rs3,000 – Rs5000 for allowing the use of their accounts.”
Recently, the BKC cyber police investigated a case in which a scammer claiming to be a Scotland-based engineer cheated a Chembur-resident widow of Rs17 lakh after promising to marry her. Investigations led the police to three men, to whose account the victim had been told to transfer the money. By the time the three were arrested, the Rs17 lakh had been transferred to accounts in Nigeria. The three claimed they had no idea about the scam. “The person asked for the use of their bank accounts, saying he did not have one himself and had to receive a sum of money from a relative,” a cyber police official said. The accused promised the three a cut.
“We suspect they knew it was a scam, but were lured into it as they thought they were getting money for nothing,” said an officer from BKC cyber police requesting anonymity.
Those who let their accounts be used do not realise they will be the first link to the accused as the money was transferred to their account.


“Cyber criminals operating from overseas often use the accounts of locals to obfuscate the money trail,” said joint commissioner of police, crime, Himanshu Roy. “Also, the victim would be hesitant to transfer funds to a foreign bank account.”

PAST CASES

February 17: A 22-year-old student from Kandivli receives an email saying she has won Rs5 crore in a lottery, after her email ID was selected by ‘Microsoft’. She is told to deposit Rs7 lakh for a character certificate and ‘other procedures’ to ensure she gets the money. After paying Rs7.08 lakh, she realises she has been cheated, informs the police. They trace the account to which the money was transferred and in August arrest 32year-old Rajkumar Brijlal Thagele who had allowed his account to be used. By then, the money had been transferred from his account.
JULY: A south Mumbaibased cloth merchant is cheated of Rs80 lakh after his accountant replies to an email sent by the ‘bank’, asking for verification of account details. It is found out that the bank hadn’t sent the email and Rs80 lakh was transferred from the complainant’s account to other accounts. The police track down one of the accounts and arrests Kandivli resident Prakash Doshi, who had opened the account. However, the other accused — who drafted the mail with the bank’s fake logo — manage to evade arrest.

Local account holder ends up facing the law alone, say cops

MUMBAI: Cyber criminals using an intermediary local bank account are mostly successful at evading the law. In such cases, the cyber police manage to follow the money trail only up to the locals who let their accounts be used, and arrest them.
A victim of cyber crime usually realises he or she has been cheated only a few weeks or months after the money is transferred, an officer from the cyber crime investigation cell of the Mumbai police said, requesting anonymity.
“By the time we trace the account to which the money has been transferred and arrest the local who opened the account, the scamster operating from abroad would have already transferred the money from the local’s account, withdrawn it and closed his account, leaving behind no trace of his involvement,” said the officer.
Questioning the locals does not yield any leads, as they at most know the person who approached them.
“The locals form the last link in the chain and are not aware about the others involved in the scam, leading to the main accused. They don't even know the money in their account has been transferred abroad,” said the officer.
Well aware that the intermediary account holder will be tracked down, even those employed by the scamster to approach the local do not reveal their identity, so that the local cannot lead the police to the accused.
“Ultimately, it is only the local account holders who end up facing the law, because of greed and despite sensing they are getting involved in a scam. At most, in some cases, we manage to track down the other links in the chain that operate within the country. Tracking down an accused located in some other country is a difficult task,” the officer said.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Reebok Rs.870 crore Scam. India’s Serious Frauds Investigation Office (SFIO) and income tax authorities are investigating the case

Post scam, ice-breaking starts at Reebok India

As India operations hit parent Adidas, company goes into overdrive to bring franchisees on board

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of franchisees of sportwear major Reebok India, which is entangled in a financial scam, are scheduled to meet the company management at the corporate office this week to discuss how to give the brand a fresh start in 2013.
The meeting is expected to break the ice by bringing a large number of old and new franchisees to the discussion table.
Reebok’s business in India, which is severely impacted by financial irregularities, could result in a negative impact of up to €70 million on the operating profit of the parent group, Germany’s Adidas, in 2012.
Reebok said it has found that a large number of franchisee stores have been incurring losses. “It’s now clear that Reebok India had been subsidising a large store base over years, resulting in significant losses... in future this model won’t be profitable,” the company spokesperson said.
Reebok will restructure its existing minimum guarantee model to one based on performance. The company has offered VRS to 200 employees.
“The new model is essential ... to ensure profitability in India,” a Reebok official said. Franchisees, however, beg to differ. “The company opened stores, whenever they needed money, so the loss was expected,” the Delhi Franchisees’ Association said.
They have also alleged that the company prevented them from entering the Reebok office, which it has denied.

26% Decline in Reebok's global sales in AprilJune, mainly due to the Reebok India impact, according to the Adidas group


Rs.870 crore Scam

Estimated size of the alleged scam at sportswear maker Reebok India

THE SCAR THAT BITES

In May this year, Reebok India charged its former managing director Subhinder Singh Prem and chief operating officer Vishnu Bhagat with "criminal conspiracy" and "fraudulent practices" The officials deny the charges and say they are being unfairly targeted. Prem has announced plans to sue Reebok. India’s Serious Frauds Investigation Office (SFIO) and income tax authorities are investigating the case.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Senior citizen caught trying to smuggle 1kg gold into city Ornaments worth Rs30 lakh recovered; man claims he is jobless, acted as a carrier for a commission of Rs3,000

Senior citizen caught trying to smuggle 1kg gold into city

Ornaments worth Rs30 lakh recovered; man claims he is jobless, acted as a carrier for a commission of Rs3,000

MUMBAI: In the sixth instance of gold smuggling in two months, Customs officials on Friday arrested a 60-year-old man who was trying to smuggle 1kg of the yellow metal from Dubai. The value of the cargo is estimated to be worth Rs30.34 lakh.
Haresh Satikumar, a Mumbai resident, had concealed the ornaments in a specially designed vest that had an inner pocket that ended well below the waist. He slipped the ornaments, kept in two packets, into the inner pocket and zipped it up. He wore a loose shirt above it hoping it would conceal the stash. However, the discomfort and his awkward body language eventually gave him away.
At around 4.30am, Satikumar crossed the green channel at the city airport without declaring the gold, only to be caught by an air intelligence unit (AIU) batch headed by deputy commissioner of Customs, Sameer Wankhede. Officials found chains, bracelets, earrings, rings and pendants concealed inside the vest.
Satikumar later told the officials about his accomplice, one Shailesh Soni, a jeweller, who was waiting outside the airport to collect the consignment. Customs officials forced Satikumar to call on Soni's phone and lure him into a trap.
Satikumar also told officials that he was merely a carrier and he did this for a meager commission of Rs3,000. He had gone to Dubai on Wednesday to bring in the consignment.
Soni revealed that he was to receive the gold and hand over the same to a kingpin, who is being traced by the Customs.
Satikumar told officials he worked as an ornament maker in Dubai many years ago. However, things took a turn for the worse and he lost his job. Unemployed, he was finding it tough to support his wife and daughter with whom he lived in Mumbai. "He said earning Rs3,000 for a single job was better than dying of hunger," said a Customs official. The two were arrested and produced in court. Advocate Ravi Hirani who represented the two accused said they had no knowledge that they had to declare the gold in India. The two men were released on bail.

UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT

Before boarding a flight
from Dubai to Mumbai, Haresh Satikumar conceals 1kg gold in specially made vest. He slips the ornaments into an inner pocket, which ends below his waist.
Officials find gold
ornaments - chains, bracelets, earrings, rings and pendants - inside the vest.
He arrives at Mumbai airport
on Friday at 4.30am. Carrying only a handbag, he crosses the green channel without declaring the gold. He is then stopped by Customs officials.
Satikumar is arrested
as is his accomplice who was waiting outside airport.

Smugglers save R1.6 lakh per kg of gold

Because of the festive season, people have started buying more gold.
PRITHVIRAJ KOTHARI
president, bombay bullion association
MUMBAI: Despite best efforts of customs authorities, gold continues to be smuggled into the city. Jewellers say a section of the city’s jewellery market gets gold that has been ferried illegally.
"Some people may have been caught. But there could be many who have evaded authorities because a lot of gold purchased through illegal means is in the market," said Kumar Jain, vicepresident of Mumbai Jewellers' Association.
Jain said the stark difference in price of “official” and “unofficial” gold is what keeps smugglers in business.
Prithviraj Kothari, president of the Bombay Bullion Association, says that with 4% import duty (on gold bars), and 1% value added tax (VAT), the difference between official and unofficial gold comes to Rs1.6 lakh per kg. Smuggled gold comes cheaper because the carriers evade import duty. Jain said that buying gold illegally saves jewellers import duty and VAT.
It’s not just the import duty. The steep rise in price of gold, helped by the high demand during the festival and marriage season, is tempting smugglers into making a quick buck.
"A few months ago, demand for gold was not much. But thanks to the festival season people have started buying gold," said Kothari.
Jain said Dubai is the smugglers' favourite because gold there is cheaper by Rs1,000 per 10gm as compared to Mumbai Also, the ornament making charges are a third of what they are in Mumbai. Jewellers fear that with gold prices expected to reach Rs33,500 per 10 gram during Diwali, smuggling wil become more rampant.

IMPORT DUTY ON GOLD

36%
if brought in baggage by a regular passenger
4%
on gold bars imported by licensed agents
10%
on ornaments imported by licensed agents

DEMAND FOR GOLD PEAKING, AS IS SMUGGLING

With the festive season on and the wedding season set to begin in November, gold prices are rising. Jewellers expect gold to touch
R33,500 per 10gm by Diwali. With the spike in demand, gold is likely to be smuggled more aggressively. Jewellers say the increase in import duty on gold is one of the main reasons why the yellow metal is being smuggled in. Dubai is the source of choice for smugglers. Price for 10gm of gold in Dubai is around R1,000 less than what it is in Mumbai. Also, jewellerymaking charges in Dubai are onethird of what they are in Mumbai.

PRICE OF THE YELLOW METAL SURGES, AS DOES SMUGGLING


SMUGGLERS KEEP CUSTOMS OFFICIALS BUSY

September 11
Customs officials arrested a utensils exporter, his wife and daughter while they were trying to smuggle 762gm gold worth R21.2 lakh. The family was returning from Dubai.

August 10 and 11
Two officials of the Central Industrial Securities Force
(CISF) were arrested for helping smugglers sneak in 10 kg gold, worth R 3 crore.

July 27
Customs authorities seized 233.28 gm gold, worth R6.55 lakh, while it was being smuggled into the city by a woman from Dubai. The officials recovered two gold bars from the woman’s bag.

July 17
A 26-yearold man was arrested while smuggling in 900
gram gold, in the form of 150 chains, from Dubai. The value of the seized gold is R22 lakh.

July 13
Two gold biscuits, each weighing 100gm, were recovered from a passenger who arrived from Dubai. The gold was estimated to be worth R5.46lakh.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

After decade of knotty affairs, serial bride in police net

SHAHNAZ IS BELIEVED TO HAVE MADE LAKHS OF RUPEES IN THE COURSE OF HER SERIAL MARRIAGES
CHENNAI: She left behind a trail of broken marriages and men counting their losses.
Kerala resident Shahnaz, 33, was finally arrested in Bangalore on Saturday by the Tamil Nadu Police for marrying one man after another, living with each for a few weeks, collecting all the cash and valuables in the house and making herself scarce before targeting another gullible victim.
She is believed to have made lakhs of rupees and gathered a lot of gold jewellery in the course of her serial marriages.
In one case, Chennai motor mechanic Manikandan, a Hindu, went against his parents’ wishes to marry Shahnaz, a Muslim, only to realise that he had been duped like many others before him. “Shahnaz has confessed to marrying only four and not 50 or 100 men as TV channels have reported,” said a police officer.
The police produced Shahnaz before the Saidapet magistrate who remanded her in judicial custody for 14 days on Sunday.
TV channels have reported that Shahnaz married close to 100 men during her decade-long innings as a con artiste but the police estimated the number at a modest 12.
The TN Police formed special teams to hunt her down after receiving numerous complaints that indicated the handiwork of one person.
Shahnaz’s began her eventful career from Kerala village Pathanamthitta 11 years ago when she married a man named Siddique. Her last known marriage was in March this year to Prasanna, a football player and sports goods salesman in Chennai.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Recruitment scam: Police find accused’s Parel residence locked

A police team investigating a recruitment scam, in which at least 93 job aspirants were cheated of Rs40 lakh in all, went to the Parel residence of the racket’s alleged kingpin, only to find it locked.
The Parksite police, Vikhroli, had found some documents which said that Rajkumari, alias Rhea Gupta, lived in Parel.
The job aspirants, from across the country, had responded to newspaper advertisements by a firm called Global Research, which claimed to be a leading export, import and manpower consultancy firm. The ads promised those employed in small-time jobs — as drivers, mechanics and painters — lucrative jobs in South Africa, Singapore and Canada. The applicants had been in touch with Gupta about the jobs.
The police had come across two computers at the Vikhroli office of Global Research, where they found these documents. “We suspect the documents were forged. The entire scam was planned in detail and no evidence was left behind,” said Sanjay Patil, senior inspector, Parksite police. The police also found photographs of the accused.
Some victims, who wanted to verify the firm’s claims, viewed the website of the Singapore based company where they had been promised jobs. “I checked the website of the Singapore company that we were told would employ us. We found the Mumbai address of Global Research on the website, which quelled our doubts,” said Ram Pravesh Singh 28, one of the applicants.
“We will take the cyber police’s help to find out how the website had information of the firm. We will also check with the labour ministry if Global Research is a registered firm,” said Patil.

RECRUITMENT SCAM

ADVERTISEMENTS about a company called Global Research were put up in leading newspapers to lure the victims.
HIGH-PAYING jobs were promised in the advertisement for those employed in small time jobs.
FREE VISAS were also promised by the company
AT LEAST 93 people have been cheated by the agency, of Rs40 lakh in all, so far

SC orders Sahara to repay Rs. 24,000cr to its investors

SC orders Sahara to repay
Rs. 24,000cr to its investors

NEW DELHI: In a huge setback to the Sahara group, the Supreme Court on Friday directed it to return Rs24,000 crore, plus 15% interest, to 30 million investors. And if the group fails to comply with the order, its properties would be attached and bank accounts frozen.
Market regulator SEBI contended that two real estate companies of the group violated the Companies Act by collecting money through optionally fully convertible unsecured debentures (OFCDs).
The two companies — Sahara India Real Estate Corporation Ltd and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation Ltd — issued prospectuses on March 13, 2008 and October 16, 2009. On November 24, 2010, SEBI restrained them from selling the bonds after their “persistent refusal” to provide details of investors.

Although the judgement said as much as Rs40,000 crore had been raised by the two companies, SEBI counsel Pratap Venugopal told HT: “The two companies would have to refund over Rs24,000 crore.”

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