Nagpur: In a major development, the city police have submitted a comprehensive 4,500-page chargesheet against Sontu alias Ananth Navratan Jain, the alleged mastermind behind a staggering Rs 58 crore online gaming fraud. Businessman Vikrant Agrawal filed the complaint, claiming substantial financial losses due to manipulated gaming results.
The chargesheet, filed on Monday, meticulously outlines Sontu’s modus operandi, network, bank account details, and money transactions from Agrawal’s account to Sontu’s. It also includes cyber forensic reports, evidences such as call logs and recordings, shedding light on the intricate details of the fraudulent activities.
The investigation commenced following Agrawal’s complaint, leading to multiple police raids. On July 22, a raid at Sontu’s residence in Gondia resulted in the seizure of Rs 17 crore in cash, 14 kg of gold, and 294 kg of silver, collectively worth Rs 27 crore. Sontu had been in judicial custody after the court order related to the initial FIR against him.
A second FIR implicated Sontu Jain in a conspiracy with individuals named Dr Bagga, Khandelwal, and Kothari. The plan involved opening three new lockers in Dr Gaurav Bagga’s name at the same Axis Bank branch in Gondia. Crores of rupees and gold were transferred from Jain family lockers to these new lockers. Subsequently, Khandelwal and Dr Bagga handed over the valuables to Kothari on July 30. A later police raid on Dr Bagga’s house on October 20 led to the discovery of 3 kilograms of gold from a well and Rs 1.35 crore in cash.
The unfolding details of this elaborate online gaming fraud case underscore the need for continued vigilance against such cybercrimes.
