Odisha: Second Arrest Made in ₹9.6 Crore Bank Cheque Cloning Case

Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha has arrested one more individual from Chhattisgarh in connection with a massive cheque cloning scam.

The fraudster has been identified as Ghanashyam Ahuja.

This arrest marks a significant breakthrough in the Rs 9.56 crore fraud case involving the Bank of India’s Baripada branch.

The fraud came to light when four cloned cheques were used to siphon funds from the District Mineral Foundation Trust account. These illegal transactions occurred on April 10 and 18, 2024.

The investigation revealed that the funds were transferred to accounts of PT Constructions & Supplier and SK Enterprises. So far, authorities have managed to block Rs 5.04 crore and freeze Rs 13.56 lakh across 33 accounts.

Ahuja, the owner of Ahuja & Associates, allegedly posed as a chartered accountant to facilitate the fraud. He reportedly received Rs 63.69 lakh from PT Construction’s account. This arrest follows the earlier arrest of Pomesh Tembhare, proprietor of PT Construction & Supplier. Ahuja had attempted to evade capture by using a fake Aadhaar card.

The case has revealed a complex fraud network spanning multiple states, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha. The EOW believes this gang has been active for four years, employing sophisticated methods such as clone cheques and multi-layered money transfers.