"We expect potato prices to drop starting tomorrow", say authorities
Kolkata police arrested two individuals from the tea garden area of Chopra in connection with a large-scale tablet scam involving the misappropriation of government funds meant for students. The case, which was registered at Sarshuna police station, centers around the fraudulent transfer of money that was intended for students' accounts but ended up in the personal accounts of the accused.
The scam was carried out through AEPS (Aadhaar Enabled Payment System), which uses Aadhaar numbers for financial transactions. According to police reports, the accused altered the bank account details associated with the students, diverting the funds to their own accounts. Investigators are currently trying to determine whether the account number changes were made through school-level manipulation, external hacking, or other methods.
Kolkata police sources confirmed that they are investigating the extent of the fraudulent operation. "We are focusing on understanding how the account numbers were changed and whether it was done at the school level or if accounts were compromised through hacking," said an officer. Additionally, authorities are exploring the possibility that the fraud may be part of a larger criminal syndicate, potentially linked to gangs from Jharkhand. Previous reports have suggested such gangs were involved in similar scams, raising concerns about broader criminal networks behind these activities.
As part of the ongoing investigation, police have already made 15 arrests related to the tablet scam. The two recently arrested suspects will be presented in Islampur court, where the police will request their transit remand to bring them to Kolkata for further questioning. Investigators are keen to use their interrogation to gather more information on the methods used to execute the scam and uncover any additional individuals involved.