Former Indian Cricketer Rajesh Chauhan Faces Legal Trouble Over Alleged Fraud
Legal Action Against Rajesh Chauhan
Durg: A police report has been filed against Rajesh Chauhan, a former cricketer for India, who is accused of defrauding an individual of over Rs 15 lakh by falsely promising a transport contract with a steel company, according to police officials on Saturday.
The complaint was lodged at the Mohan Nagar police station on Friday, following a local court's directive, under Section 316(2) (criminal breach of trust) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), as stated by Station House Officer Keshav Kosale.
"The investigation is currently underway, and further actions will be determined based on the findings," he added.
On July 16, Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Aishwarya Diwan approved a request from complainant Dinkar Vishwamitra under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), instructing the Mohan Nagar police to investigate and present a final report to the court.
As per the complaint, Chauhan presented himself as a former international cricketer with connections to prominent industrialists, claiming that his company, Govind Transport Company, had secured a contract from Jindal Steel in Keonjhar, Odisha, for transporting iron ore.
The complainant alleged that Chauhan assured him of significant profits and convinced him to invest in the transport venture by providing trucks as a partner.
He reportedly displayed work order documents that he claimed were issued to Govind Transport Company, according to the application.
Believing these documents to be authentic, Vishwamitra entered into an agreement with Chauhan on July 30, 2021, and issued a cheque for Rs 2.51 lakh.
He later transferred Rs 15.01 lakh in two separate payments to the bank account of Govind Transport Company for the intended transport business, as stated in the application.
The complainant alleged that when Chauhan ceased to respond adequately, he contacted Jindal Steel Limited and discovered that neither Chauhan nor Govind Transport Company had ever received any contract. It was further claimed that the work order presented to him was forged.
Despite submitting written complaints to the Mohan Nagar police station and subsequently to the Durg Superintendent of Police, no FIR was filed, leading him to seek court intervention under Section 175(3) of the BNSS.
Upon reviewing the application and accompanying documents, the court noted that there was sufficient evidence indicating a cognizable offense and that the police had failed to act on the complaints.
The court remarked that there was prima facie evidence suggesting that Chauhan had dishonestly acquired money by allegedly deceiving the complainant, thus necessitating a police investigation.
Chauhan previously stated that this issue was merely a business dispute.
"Some of the complainant's money has already been returned, but the repayment of the remaining amount has been delayed due to personal circumstances," he mentioned.