Indian national jailed in Singapore for bank fraud
Darpan News Desk IANS, 17 Nov, 2022 01:22 PM
ingapore, Nov 17 (IANS) An Indian national has been jailed in Singapore for nine weeks after he committed fraud involving more than S$26,000 that was traced to three fraud victims in the US.
Bhambri Kunal, 26, who first came to Singapore in 2018 to study, pleaded guilty to three counts of dealing with the benefits of criminal conduct.
In exchange for at least $100, Kunal, who was jailed on Wednesday, withdrew cash totalling more than $26,000 from Singapore bank accounts.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Seah Ee Wei said that between February 2021 and March the same year, Singapore's Commercial Affairs Department received information on fraudulent transfers involving three fraud victims in the US, The Straits Times reported.
Kay Kovaleski, the first victim, was duped into wiring $29,500 to a bank account in Singapore belonging to a man called Rahul Kumar, following which she filed a report with the FBI on February 10, 2021.
After 13 days, second victim, the Kimberly Lynn Mole, told police in California that she was deceived into wiring $32,620 to a Singapore bank account belonging to one Brar Vishavjeet.
Thomas Sabatino, the third victim filed a report with the Singapore Police Force on March 19, 2021, stating that he had been duped into wiring $46,000 to a bank account in Singapore linked to one Lakhwinder Singh.
Court documents did not disclose how they discovered that they were victims of a ruse.
Defence lawyer S.S. Dhillon said in early 2021, Bhambri's friends Rahul and Simar asked him to help them withdraw money from local bank accounts by using ATM cards, and Bhambri agreed to help them.
Between February 9 and March 3, 2021, he made withdrawals of more than $26,000 from bank accounts that did not belong to him, and passed on the cash to his friends.
The Deputy Public Prosecutor told the court: "(Bhambri)... did not check the names on the accounts before withdrawing the money. He admitted to knowing that it was wrong and illegal to withdraw money from other people's bank accounts but continued to do so," The Straits Times reported.
Dhillon said his client regretted his actions and was not the mastermind behind the offences.
During a meeting with Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav and other officers, who called on him at his official residence here, Mann said that gangsters and drug peddlers were patronised by the previous governments.
The accused were identified as Neelam (35), Sunita (35), Neeta (34) and Savitri (34). DCP (Dwarka) M. Harsh Wardhan said the staff of Anti-Narcotics Cell received a secret information that some women sell drugs at Indira market near Anaj Mandi, Najafgarh.
According to the official, the main accused, Abhishek Chhabra was running the fake call-centre for the last one month. The victims of the scam are mainly the people residing in the foreign countries.
13 people have been arrested in the case so far after the first arrest was made on May 30, a day after the murder of Moosewala. Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, who is a member of the Bishnoi gang, had claimed responsibility for Moosewala's murder.
Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Sharma, contended that new FIRs are being registered, and added that they will pick her up. The bench said: "No coercive action to be taken against present or future FIRs in relation to the same telecast..."
The hospital said that the patient was offered admission but she did not return with the admission paper. The next day the Senior Resident on morning GRR duty was informed that a patient was delivering outside. A team from GRR was dispatched immediately and the patient's delivery was taken care of, reads the statement issued by the hospital.
