6 arrested for duping 50 lakhs by posing as Century Ply owner Sajjan Bhajanka

Kolkata Police have uncovered a large-scale financial fraud, arresting six individuals who impersonated Century Ply owner Sajjan Bhajanka and deceived a businessman into handing over ₹50 lakh. The case, filed at Park Street Police Station on March 4, 2025, was based on a complaint by Ankit Bhantia, son of Vijay Kumar Bhantia.

The fraud took place on March 1, when the accused forged a WhatsApp display picture with the name "Century Ply" and contacted Dr. R.K. Agarwal, pretending to be Bhajanka. Seeking urgent financial help, they convinced Dr. Agarwal to arrange funds through Vijay Kumar Bhantia, who later handed ₹50 lakh in cash to two impostors posing as Bhajanka’s representatives. The fraud came to light when the complainant later discovered the deception and alerted the authorities.

Kolkata Police launched an immediate investigation, gathering CCTV footage and utilizing the Technical Wing to track the suspects. A joint operation led to the arrest of three individuals from different locations in Maharashtra on March 13, 2025. Those arrested were Waqab Mohammad Javed Chandiwala (28), Riyaz Razi Sayed (36), and Sachin Manohar Prasad (32). The police recovered a luggage bag used to transport the money, backpacks, clothing, three mobile phones, and five pre-activated SIM cards.

Following further leads, the police arrested Pawan Shaw alias Sweet (36) from Kolkata on March 14, 2025. They recovered one mobile phone, three SIM cards linked to the crime, and an envelope from Tirupati Courier Service used to transport SIM cards.

On March 15, two more suspects, Mahendra Pal Singh (39) and Chetan Singh Dahiya (40), were arrested from Pollock Street, Kolkata. The police seized ₹24,90,440 in cash, multiple mobile phones, Aadhaar cards, two cheque books, and a money-counting machine. The arrested individuals were found in possession of the scammed funds.