Two awarded imprisonment for 5 yrs in cheating case using AEPS

Gourab Neto, MP, 30 July 2024, Kolkata: Two persons were convicted and awarded imprisonment for five years for cheating and forgery using the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) in Islampur of North Dinajpur. 

This is the first conviction of such a case registered regarding fraudulent transactions made using AEPS in Bengal. According to sources, during the month of September, 2023, cops of Islampur Cyber Crime police station arrested two persons and registered a case for allegedly cheating people by obtaining their biometric details and Aadhaar Card details.
During the probe, cops had seized various incriminating materials including plastic like materials with forged duplicate fingerprints, fingerprint scanners, photocopies of Aadhaar cards, bank account details and other documents from the passions of two accused identified as Mujjafar Alam and Saiful Alam.
While investigating further, cops came to know that the accused persons used to collect data from the grey market and use the Aadhaar card details to obtain the biometric of the victims of fraud. 

Later they used several chemicals to make a permanent copy of the fingerprints in a polymer sheet which they used later to transfer money from the bank accounts of the victims. To confuse police the accused duo used a smartphone application which changes the location’s details. 

However, while transferring the money to other bank accounts they did not use the app which became a major clue to the police. During the probe, cops took help of the Finger Print Bureau (FPB) where experts demonstrated the entire crime elaborately before a magistrate which was video recorded. 

Also, police were able to contact one victim whose fingerprints matched with the one of the fingerprints found from the accused persons’ possession. After filing the chargesheet within the stipulated time, charges were framed against the duo and the Special Public Prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee succeeded in convincing the court for a custody trial. 

Recently the duo was held guilty and on Monday the court awarded them with imprisonment for five years along with Rs one lakh fine for each of the convicts. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/two-awarded-imprisonment-for-5-yrs-in-cheating-case-using-aeps-573696?infinitescroll=1