Jammu, May 14: The Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday booked seven persons, including the managing directors, directors and partners of four private companies, along with other accused for allegedly duping people of Jammu to the tune of Rs 2.46 crore on various pretexts, officials said.

In four separate FIRs, the companies based in Chandigarh, Bathinda and Uttar Pradesh have been accused of swindling large sums of money from unsuspecting individuals through fake business deals, false promises of property and fraudulent business ventures, said a Crime Branch official.

In one case, on a complaint by Vinod Kumar Dubey, the proprietor of Dravya Fruit Traders, an FIR was lodged against Shounak Maria, Geetika and Varun – partners of Xpert Cold Chain Solutions and Arihantam Technologies Private Limited, Zirakpur (Chandigarh) – for allegedly cheating him of Rs 1.71 crore, he added.

The official said that the fraud was committed under the guise of setting up a banana ripening plant in Jammu’s Narwal area.

In another case, an FIR was filed against Yogesh Awasti, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddha Nagar, following a complaint by Gurbachan Singh of Jammu’s Miran Sahib area, he said, adding that the accused allegedly duped the complainant of Rs 25 lakh by promising residential flats in Delhi.

The official further said that an FIR was also registered against Rishab Jain and Sarika Jain of Bathinda and other directors of Jain Allied Health and Hygiene Products Limited.

They allegedly duped Domesh Gupta of Narwal Pain in Jammu of Rs 19.25 lakh under the pretext of a business partnership involving hygiene products such as baby diapers, sanitary napkins and hand wash, he added.

In another case, Mohammad Taj Khan of Trikuta Nagar in Jammu was booked on complaints filed by Yusuf Pathan of Bathindi and Ashraf Ali Sheikh of Verinag, he said.

He is accused of cheating them of Rs 30.66 lakh under the promise of providing land in Jammu.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Crime Jammu, Benam Tosh, confirmed the registration of four separate cases at the Police Station of Crime Branch’s Economic Offences Wing here.

Investigations are currently underway, he said.–(PTI)