Court refuses to quash FIR against call centre scamsters
Shikha Salaria | TNN | Updated: Mar 8, 2019, 08:52 IST
Representative imageNOIDA: The Allahabad high court has refused to quash an FIR against two of the alleged masterminds — Jimmy Asija and Narendra Pahuja — in the NCR call centre scam.
Some 126 people, mostly youths, were arrested when the police busted the fake call centre in Sector 63 in December. Pahuja, Asija and Sagar Thakkar alias Shaggy (the third mastermind named in the scam) are, however, on the run.
In its order, dated February 26, which was recently uploaded on the website, the court refused to stay the arrests of Pahuja and Asija stating prima facie it cannot be said that “no cognisable offence was made out” and “hence no ground exists for quashing of the FIR or staying the arrest of the petitioner.”
“The learned AGA (additional government counsel) vehemently opposed the contentions on the ground that allegations are very serious, involving foreign nationals, huge recoveries of incriminating software, prima facie, indicative of an organised racket being carried on,” the court said.
The petition was filed in the court by Pahuja and Asija.
The FIR has been lodged against Pahuja, Asija and Shaggy, and 126 others under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt in order to commit extortion) and Section 66 of the IT Act.
Meanwhile, the investigating officer in the case — Phase III SHO Akhilesh Tripathi — appeared before the court with the case diary. “I submitted my comment about their involvement in the alleged fraud. The court was informed that while the building was rented on a different name, accused had been running call centres under another name,” Tripathi said.
When contacted, Gautam Budh Nagar SSP Vaibhav Krishna said the accused will be arrested if their role is found in the investigation. “This and other call centre cases will soon be handed over to a special investigation team (SIT),” he added.
TOI had earlier reported that the Allahabad HC ordered the additional government advocate to ensure the presence of the investigating officer (IO), along with the case diary, in the next hearing, stating that it would be forced to summon the Gautam Budh Nagar SSP in case of non-compliance.
Some 126 people, mostly youths, were arrested when the police busted the fake call centre in Sector 63 in December. Pahuja, Asija and Sagar Thakkar alias Shaggy (the third mastermind named in the scam) are, however, on the run.
In its order, dated February 26, which was recently uploaded on the website, the court refused to stay the arrests of Pahuja and Asija stating prima facie it cannot be said that “no cognisable offence was made out” and “hence no ground exists for quashing of the FIR or staying the arrest of the petitioner.”
“The learned AGA (additional government counsel) vehemently opposed the contentions on the ground that allegations are very serious, involving foreign nationals, huge recoveries of incriminating software, prima facie, indicative of an organised racket being carried on,” the court said.
The petition was filed in the court by Pahuja and Asija.
The FIR has been lodged against Pahuja, Asija and Shaggy, and 126 others under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt in order to commit extortion) and Section 66 of the IT Act.
Meanwhile, the investigating officer in the case — Phase III SHO Akhilesh Tripathi — appeared before the court with the case diary. “I submitted my comment about their involvement in the alleged fraud. The court was informed that while the building was rented on a different name, accused had been running call centres under another name,” Tripathi said.
When contacted, Gautam Budh Nagar SSP Vaibhav Krishna said the accused will be arrested if their role is found in the investigation. “This and other call centre cases will soon be handed over to a special investigation team (SIT),” he added.
TOI had earlier reported that the Allahabad HC ordered the additional government advocate to ensure the presence of the investigating officer (IO), along with the case diary, in the next hearing, stating that it would be forced to summon the Gautam Budh Nagar SSP in case of non-compliance.
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