Uttarakhand: Himgiri Plantation scam; they defrauded people by promising to double their money, the accused was arrested after 25 years

One of the accused in the Himgiri Plantation scam, who defrauded common people of millions of rupees by promising to double their money, has been apprehended by the police. The other accused is still at large. The accused had been absconding for nearly 25 years.

Fraudulent scheme involved promising to double money
The case came to light in 2001. Shiv Prasad, a resident of Kalimath, filed a complaint of fraud at the Gopeshwar police station. According to the complaint, Ravindra Mohan and his brother Rakesh Mohan, through a company called ‘Himgiri Plantation’, established in 1993, were luring people into investing by promising to double their money in a short time and offering high interest rates. Initially, they made payments to some people to gain their trust, but later, the two brothers disappeared with millions of rupees belonging to the public.

Court declared both accused as absconders
Separate cases were registered at the Gopeshwar police station in this matter. Due to their long period of absconding, the court declared both the accused as absconders and issued permanent non-bailable warrants against them. Despite this, both the accused remained out of the police’s reach for years. Amidst a crackdown on demographic and organized financial crimes, the Chamoli police reopened investigations into old fraud cases. The Himgiri Plantation case was also prioritized during this time.

Accused was living in metropolitan cities under a false identity
The Chamoli police had announced a reward of Rs. 5,000 for the arrest of Ravindra Mohan. Police investigation revealed that the accused had been living in metropolitan cities for a long time under a false identity. Recently, information was received that he had returned to Uttarakhand, after which the police laid a trap and apprehended him in the Phata area. After his arrest, the accused was brought to Chamoli. According to the police, the other accused, Rakesh, is still absconding. The police say that a separate team is searching for Rakesh, and he will also be arrested soon.