The CBI has arrested an alleged impostor who defrauded a person to the tune of Rs 80 lakh by posing as the chairman of the National Highways Authority of India, officials said on Friday. Defendant Manoj Kumar Jha, a resident of Madhubani in Bihar, was arrested in Gurgaon, they said.
Following the arrest, the Central Investigation Agency conducted a search of 8 facilities in Delhi, Kolkata, Madhubani and Bokaro Steel City, resulting in the recovery of various infringing documents and about 200 SIM cards, officials said.
“It is alleged that the impostor called a high-ranking official of NHI. It is also alleged that the complainant was invited to speak with the said president, as he was informed to recommend two-thirds of major reputable contractors for urgent reasons,” said a CBI spokesperson. RC Joshi said.
When the complainant contacted Jha, he is said to have told the complainant that his daughter was in urgent need of Rs 80 lakh in Kolkata and her son-in-law would collect the money from there. “According to reports, the money was transferred via the Hawala network to Kolkata and was collected by the defendant himself.
During the investigation, the impostor was identified as a resident of Madhubani (Bihar) and subsequently arrested at Gurgaon (Haryana), ”Joshi said. He said the defendant is currently in CBI custody until August 9.