Mumbai: In a chargesheet submitted in the Torres Jewellers scam case, the city Economic Offences Wing (EOW) stated the accused offered 2% higher returns for cash investments as part of their criminal conspiracy, to facilitate misappropriation of the invested funds. The chargesheet stated that investors interested in making online payments were discouraged with excuses like slow internet or network issues and were forced to invest in cash.
“M/s Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd is not registered as a Non-Banking Financial Company under Section 45 of the Reserve Bank of India Act… Therefore, the company does not have the right to accept deposits. A report to this effect was received from the Reserve Bank of India. This clarifies that the amounts received from investors by the company and other accused, under the false pretense of hefty returns, are unregulated deposits,” the chargesheet stated.
Shivaji Park police on Jan 6 registered an FIR in the alleged investment fraud case of Rs 13.48 crore. Office-bearers of Platinum Hern Pvt. Ltd, which ran Torres Jewellers, were named as accused. Subsequently, police filed a 27,147-page chargesheet. Those named in the chargesheet include Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd, the company’s Uzbek general manager Taniya Xasatova (52), Russian store-in-charge Valentina Kumar (44), director Sarvesh Surve (30), CEO Tausif Riyaz alias John Carter (33), Ukrainian actor who worked in Mumbai Armen Atian, alleged hawala operator Alpesh Khara, and Lallan Singh, who allegedly converted cash into “look-like” legitimate banking transactions for the accused company.
The chargesheet also cited the statements of several witnesses, including mobile phone dealers who described how the accused purchased devices worth Rs 5 crore.
