E-Paper
Loan app-cum-extortion racket: Tax consultant, law student arrested by Chandigarh Police
According to Chandigarh Police, analysis of money flow to different bank accounts as part of the racket, revealed that the extorted money was transferred to bank accounts of shell/ fake companies opened and managed by these accused
The ongoing investigations into the loan-cum-extortion racket has unearthed the involvement of a tax consultant who had been helping the main accused in routing the extorted money to shell companies and further abroad through hawala channels.
Apart from the tax consultant-cum-advocate, Sunil Kumar Chauhan, 46, of Ghaziabad, police have also arrested three more accused, including Abhishek Kumar , 30, an LLB student from east Delhi, and Shashikant Yadav, 30, and Ashok Kumar, 35, of Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
The accused were produced before a court and sent to police custody till September 26.
“On analysing the money flow to different bank accounts in the racket, it emerged that all the extorted money was transferred to bank accounts of shell/ fake companies opened and managed by these accused, who further helped the main accused with money laundering and hawala trade,” said superintendent of police (cyber), Ketan Bansal, adding that they were also verifying the role of bankers.
The racket was busted earlier last week with the arrest of Chinese national Wan Chengua, 34, and 20 others who had been blackmailing people who installed their instant loan apps. Through app installation, they would get access to the victims’ private media in their mobile phones and extort money.
Further probe had led to the arrest of another Chinese national, Jeffery Jhu, who oversaw the transfer of ₹100 crore through hawala channels since 2020 after leaving India.