OUR CORRESPONDENT
PASIGHAT: In a significant breakthrough against digital fraud, two individuals, Raj Thapa and Boge Sonar, have been convicted for scamming shopkeepers in Ruksin and nearby areas using a fake PhonePe application.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court at Pasighat sentenced both the accused to two months of simple imprisonment on July 17 last.
The two, residents of Nepali Tinali at Jonai in Assam’s Dhemaji district, were arrested by the Ruksin Police on September 26 last year, following an FIR filed by Tajong Panyang of Ruksin village.
Panyang had complained that Raj Thapa had cheated him earlier that day at his wine shop by a fake online payment.
According to deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Ayup Boko, the duo used a counterfeit version of the PhonePe app, which closely resembled the real one, complete with transaction sounds and fake receipts, even without an internet connection. “The scammers duped several shopkeepers in Ruksin and Jonai using this method,” the DSP said.
Initially, four persons were detained in the case, including two minors. However, only Thapa and Sonar were taken into custody and tried in court. Their mobile phones were seized and sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Guwahati for analysis.
During the trial, both accused admitted to their crimes.
At the time of the arrest, DSP Boko was serving as SDPO Ruksin and led the investigation along with Ruksin Police Station officer-in-charge Igel Lollen and his team.
Given that the accused were first-time offenders, the court opted for a lighter sentence.
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