The Jammu Police on Friday filed a chargesheet against a woman entrepreneur, Richa Langer, infamous for her alleged corrupt practices, for cheating a close kin of over ₹60 lakh in a silver bond fraud.
The chargesheet was filed under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code in the court of sub-judge Sunil Kumar, judicial magistrate first class (JMIC), Jammu.
The accused, Richa Langer, wife of Sanjay Langer and a resident of Gandhi Nagar, had allegedly duped her relative Harsh Gupta, son of the late Banarsi Dass Gupta of Sanjay Nagar, by luring him into purchasing silver bonds launched by a leading jewellery store—M/s Mulkh Raj Ashok Kumar Jewellers—in 2018.
According to the complaint, Langer persuaded Gupta to invest in the scheme, promising high returns within a stipulated timeframe. Trusting her as a family member, Gupta continued to purchase bonds until December 2022. However, in November 2022, the accused allegedly took all original bonds from Gupta under the pretext of encashing them.
Later, when Gupta demanded repayment, Langer reportedly issued cheques in her and her daughter’s name. These cheques bounced, leading Gupta to initiate proceedings under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.
{{/usCountry}}Later, when Gupta demanded repayment, Langer reportedly issued cheques in her and her daughter’s name. These cheques bounced, leading Gupta to initiate proceedings under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.
{{/usCountry}}After exhausting all avenues, Gupta filed a written complaint on March 19, 2024, with the special director general of police, crime branch. When no FIR was registered, he approached the chief judicial magistrate (CJM), Jammu, under Section 156(3) of the CrPC, seeking directions to register an FIR against both Richa Langer and Rahul Suri of Mulkh Raj Ashok Kumar Jewellers.
Subsequent police investigations established a prima facie case of cheating against Langer, resulting in the chargesheet.
Rusted mortar shell recovered, destroyed in Poonch
In a separate incident, a rusted and unexploded mortar shell was recovered near the Line of Control in the Balnoi area of Poonch district on Friday. According to officials, the shell was found by locals in the field of a villager, Mohammad Rafiq. Police and bomb disposal teams were alerted and the shell was later safely destroyed in a controlled explosion.