100-crore cyber scam: 3-member SIT set up to probe allegations against Minister Harjot Bains, wife Jyoti Yadav
A special investigation team (SIT) has been set up to probe allegations against Minister Harjot Bains and his IPS officer wife Jyoti Yadav in relation to the ‘Rs 100-crore cyber scam’.
100-crore cyber scam: A special investigation team (SIT) has been set up to probe allegations against Minister Harjot Bains and his IPS officer wife Jyoti Yadav in relation to the ‘Rs 100-crore cyber scam’.
The allegations were levelled by Mohali district cyber-crime inspector Amanjot Kaur in her letter to the Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav.
The 3-member SIT, constituted by Punjab DGP, will be headed by ADGP V Neeraja. It will include IGP Dhanpreet Kaur and Mohali SSP Deepak Pareek.
100-crore cyber scam:
In her letter to DGP Punjab, the woman inspector accused the Punjab minister and his wife of an alleged ‘Rs 100-crore cyber scam’ in Punjab.
Cabinet minister Harjot Bains and IPS officer Jyoti Yadav have previously denied the charges and stated that they will initiate a defamation suit against the inspector for defaming them. During a public speech, Bains stated that their image is clean and clear as glass, and they have nothing to hide.
According to Mohali police officials, the complainant, who previously served as the in-charge of the Mohali cyber cell, is accused of fraudulently registering FIRs against innocent people and demanding money by threatening to falsely implicate them. They also stated that persons who gave in to her threats and agreed to her demands had their FIRs cancelled subsequently.
However, in her complaint, the inspector claimed that a fraudulent call centre operating out of a basement in Mohali had been extorting large sums from foreigners, totalling more than Rs 100 crore.
According to the complaint, it has been alleged that a fraudulent call centre operating out of a basement in Mohali had been allegedly extorting significant sums from foreigners, accumulating over Rs 100 crore. Kaur, who led the initial investigation, had arrested the call centre owner, Vijay Rai Kapooria, along with several accomplices. However, the investigation reportedly encountered complications.
She alleged that Kapooria had deep ties to AAP minister Harjot Bains, with both hailing from Nangal. The complaint alleged that Bains might have received substantial party funds from Kapooria. The complainant also alleged that SP Jyoti Yadav, Bains’s wife, had been obstructing the investigation and exerting pressure to halt the case.
Kaur, who led the first investigation, apprehended Vijay Rai Kapooria, the owner of the call centre, and others. She claimed that Kapooria had ties to AAP minister Harjot Bains, as both were from Nangal. The complainant also claimed that Bains’ wife was thwarting and pressuring the investigation to end.
Opposition parties on Friday demanded a probe into the allegations of a “cyber scam” made by a police inspector against cabinet minister Harjot Singh Bains and his IPS wife.
Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira told mediapersons, “I urge chief minister Bhagwant Mann to order a judicial inquiry into the sensational Rs 100 crore cyber scam unearthed by a serving inspector who has lodged a detailed complaint with the director general of police (DGP) making serious allegations against minister Harjot Bains, his IPS wife Jyoti Yadav and also a serving judicial officer.” Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia also requested CM Mann to order a CBI probe into the alleged cyber fraud.
The complainant has also accused a Mohali judge of accepting a property from the scammers and subsequently filing an FIR against her. She has provided detailed information, including the judge’s name and the property address, to support her claims.
The complainant alleged that SP Jyoti Yadav and DSP Gursher unlawfully sought call records related to Professor Balwinder Kaur, who ended committed suicide amid a dispute involving 1,158 assistant professors. She said these actions were intended to shield her husband from scrutiny.
On the other hand, reacting to the charge, Harjot Bains had posted on X on Thursday, “Just learnt about baseless allegations made by a tainted officer against me & my wife, an exemplary IPS officer with a spotless record. We will be filing a defamation suit. As a soldier of Arvind Kejriwal, honesty is my dharma. Proud of my wife, who embodies professionalism & integrity. We welcome any investigation to bring out the truth.”
