Fake Army Orders: Panbazar Police Bust ₹11.50-Crore Fraud
Panbazar Police arrested Harsh Agarwal from Siliguri for a ₹11.50 crore fraud involving fake Indian Army supply orders and forged documents.
In a major breakthrough, the Panbazar Police have dismantled a sophisticated financial scam involving the impersonation of military officials and forged supply orders. The operation culminated in the arrest of a key mastermind, 30-year-old Harsh Agarwal, who was apprehended from Siliguri, West Bengal, in connection with a massive Panbazar Police fraud case totaling ₹11.50 crore.
The Modus Operandi: A Web of Deceit
The fraud was meticulously planned to exploit the trust of a business entity in Guwahati. According to police investigators, Harsh Agarwal allegedly initiated the deception by introducing his brother, Ayush Agarwal, to the complainant. He painted his brother as a distant relative who possessed influential connections and expertise in securing Indian Army supply contracts.
By leveraging an existing business relationship, the duo managed to gain the complete confidence of M/s Global Traders, based in Guwahati. Once the trust was established, the accused allegedly used a combination of fabricated financial documents and forged Indian Army supply orders to lure the victims into a financial trap.
The Financial Hit
The scale of the deception was immense. Through these fraudulent transactions and the impersonation of Army officers, the accused allegedly managed to siphon off a staggering sum of ₹11,50,56,180 from the victim.
The Investigation and Inter-State Operation
The probe was spearheaded by Inspector Sankar Jyoti Nath, the Officer-in-Charge of Panbazar Police Station. The investigation involved a deep dive into complex financial transactions, the analysis of digital footprints, and the gathering of critical intelligence inputs.
After developing strong leads that pointed toward West Bengal, a specialized team from the Panbazar Police launched an inter-state operation. They successfully tracked Harsh Agarwal to Siliguri, where he was taken into custody.
Legal Action and Recovery
The authorities have registered the case at the Panbazar Police Station (Case No. 214/2026). The charges have been filed under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Information Technology Act.
As part of the recovery process, the police have already frozen more than ₹2 crore across various bank accounts linked to the crime. However, the investigation remains active as officials work to:
- Trace the remaining defrauded amount.
- Identify other beneficiaries who may have received the stolen funds.
- Apprehend the other remaining accused persons involved in the syndicate.