Guwahati, June 2: The criminal investigation department of Assam Police has arrested an accused in connection with a case registered eight years back, based on complaints of victims who were duped into paying hefty sums of money to him for admissions of their wards to MBBS and BDS courses in the state.
“Accused Vimal Kumar Choudhury of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, accused in CID PS case number 53/2014 under 120(B)/406/420 of IPC, was arrested in the intervening night of May 31 and June 1, 2022 from his hideout in Siliguri, West Bengal in a successful operation led by a team of CID, Assam,” an official statement issued here said.
Choudhury was produced before the local court for transit remand and is being brought back to Assam for further lawful action in connection with the case.
“The accused person published fake advertisements in newspapers with contact details like email and phone numbers for admission into medical and dental colleges. The victims contacted the accused person and paid huge sums for admission of their wards and got duped,” the statement said.
Though the case was registered in 2014, the accused could not be arrested as he was on the run and avoiding arrest. The case was closely monitored by Gauhati High Court vide case number W.A. 161/2019.
According to the High Court’s order, a special investigation team (SIT) was constituted in March 2021 in connection with the investigation of the case.
“The SIT painstakingly searched for the accused person using various means and ways. Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) under the Union home ministry played a vital role in finding out the accused,” the statement said.
From the CCTNS database, it was found that another case with similar modus operandi was registered against the accused person at Krishna Nagar Police station of Delhi in 2015.
“Based on the FIR number, searches were made at the website of Delhi High Court for any anticipatory bail application. A bail application of the accused person was found to be rejected by the Delhi High Court vide order dated May 24, 2016,” the statement said.
On the basis of the case details, searches were made at the e-Court portal of the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) and all the orders in connection with the Krishna Nagar case were found.
Searches were also made in other verticals of the ICJS, the e-Prison portal and it was found that the accused person was in Tihar Jail for two months in 2017 in connection with the Krishna Nagar case.
“From the e-Prison portal the other details of the accused person like his parentage, date of birth address, etc., were found. Based on the details found in the e-Prison portal, passport details of the accused persons were collected. Mobile number of his wife was found in the passport. Based on the analysis of the call detail record CDR, the mobile number of the accused person was found,” the statement said.
Thereafter, the movements of the accused person were continuously traced and it was found that he was moving between Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) and Siliguri, West Bengal.
“Two teams of CID, Assam were formed and sent to Siliguri and Ghaziabad to apprehend the accused person,” it said.