The police has arrested Prakash Chandra Upadhyay, former private secretary of the Chief Minister, who cheated drug traders of crores of rupees in the name of providing e-tender for medicines. Four cases of cheating are registered against the accused in the city police station. In the same case, another accused, Saurabh Vats alias Saurabh Sharma, an associate of former private secretary, has been arrested by the Bhilwara police of Rajasthan. Doon Police will soon bring the accused to Dehradun on B warrant. A team has been sent to Rajasthan for this. Four other members of the gang are still absconding and raids are being conducted to search for them. On March 9, complainant Ram Kewal, resident of Sector-7 Haridwar, had filed a case of cheating of Rs 52 lakh against former private secretary of the Chief Minister PC Upadhyay, Saurabh Vats and his wife Nandini Vats, driver Shahrukh Khan, Mahesh Mahriya and Sonak Mahriya.
The complainant told that he has a pharmaceutical factory in JR Pharmaceutical Sidcul Haridwar. In the year 2022, his former acquaintance Dheeraj Rishi, resident of Patiala (Punjab), introduced him to Saurabh Vats alias Saurabh Sharma, resident of Dehradun. Saurabh Vats described himself as working on the post of Officer on Special Duty in Uttarakhand Secretariat. One day Saurabh made him meet PC Upadhyay, resident of Kalinga Vihar Majri Mafi, in the Chief Minister’s office. Saurabh told that Prakash Chandra Upadhyay is the Principal Private Secretary to the Chief Minister. During this time, Saurabh also made him meet his wife Nandini Vats, driver Shahrukh Khan, his associate Mahesh and his son. The accused cheated them in the name of getting the tender. On the basis of the complaint, a case was registered against the accused in the city police station. On Wednesday night, the police arrested the accused Prakash Chandra Upadhyay, resident of Kalinga Vihar Majri Mafi, Mohkampur, Nehru Colony.
On the other hand, Bhilwara Pratapnagar police station of Rajasthan had registered a case of fraud of Rs 1 crore 15 lakh against Prakash Chandra, his associate Saurabh Vats and other accused. The accused had cheated Rs 1 crore 15 lakh from Ramlal Yogi, Deputy Chairman of Bhilwara Municipal Council and director of Gandhinagar-based Impex firm, in the name of getting a tender for school dress export and cloth supply in government and private schools. Gang member Mahesh Mahariya had introduced the complainant Ramlal Yogi to Saurabh Vats and PC Upadhyay. In this case, on Wednesday, Bhilwara police arrested the accused Saurav Vats alias Saurav Sharma, resident of Main Ambala Road, near Radhakrishna Temple, Saharanpur, UP, currently resident of Athoorwala, Jolly Grant, Police Station Doiwala, Dehradun.
There are six cases against the accused in Uttarakhand, UP and Rajasthan.
Apart from Uttarakhand, six cases are registered against the gang members in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. On August 10, 2023, Sanjeev Kumar Dev, resident of SST Nagar, Patiala (Punjab), former district president of BJP, had filed a case of fraud of Rs 3 crore 46 lakh. After this, on August 22, 2023, Rajat Parashar, resident of Patiala (Punjab), filed a case of fraud of Rs 1 crore 15 lakh. Similarly, Deepmani Swarnkar, resident of Pratapnagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, had also filed a case of fraud of Rs 55 lakh against the accused in the city police station of Dehradun on 13 October 2023.
At the same time, cases of cheating are registered against the accused in Civil Line police station of Moradabad UP and Pratanagar Bhilwara police station in Rajasthan.
Soon a case will be registered under gangster section also
SSP Ajay Singh said that in view of the way the accused have earned money through fraudulent means, a case of gangsterism will also be registered against them soon. During the investigation, fake documents were also seized by the police. Police is conducting raids to arrest other accused.
