Ahmedabad Businessman Allegedly Cheated of ₹24.16 Lakh in ₹31.2-Crore Assam School Bag Tender Scam

An Ahmedabad-based businessman has approached the Ahmedabad Crime Branch after allegedly losing ₹24.16 lakh to three men who promised to secure a ₹31.2-crore Assam government contract for supplying two lakh school bags to the Matak Autonomous Council.

According to the complaint, the accused collected a total of ₹39.16 lakh from the businessman as commission for facilitating the proposed contract. However, the government order never materialised. After repeated demands for a refund, only ₹15 lakh was returned, while a cheque issued for part of the remaining amount allegedly bounced due to insufficient funds.

The accused have been identified as Sudhir Chaudhary, a Mumbai resident; Gagan Saxena, from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh; and Hemantakumar Adhikary, from Guwahati in Assam.

The complainant, Aman Vasavada, 33, runs Gravity Innovators, a firm involved in procuring government tenders and supplying various products. The Economic Wing of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch has registered an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further investigation is underway.

Accused Allegedly Promised ₹31.2-Crore Government Contract

Vasavada told police that he had known Chaudhary and Saxena since 2022. The three had reportedly met in Guwahati during discussions about supplying boats to Assam's Disaster Management Department. During the meeting, Chaudhary and Saxena allegedly spoke about their connections and licensing opportunities with the state government.

In 2023, the two men allegedly contacted Vasavada again and introduced him to Adhikary, claiming that he had considerable influence within the Matak Autonomous Council and could help secure a large school bag supply contract.

Chaudhary subsequently sent documents to Vasavada over WhatsApp, claiming that an order for two lakh school bags worth ₹31.2 crore could be obtained from the council.

To understand the proposal and the procedure involved, Vasavada sent his employee, Jaideep Bhensdariya, to Guwahati with ₹10 lakh in cash to meet the three men.

During the meeting, the accused allegedly demanded commission for facilitating the contract. Bhensdariya handed over ₹9 lakh in cash to them, following their instructions.

₹39.16 Lakh Allegedly Collected Through Cash, Bank Transfers

According to the complaint, on April 29, 2023, Vasavada transferred ₹15 lakh from his HDFC Bank account to a Punjab National Bank account belonging to Adhikary's organisation, Adhikary Pat Muga Udyog.

Another ₹14.66 lakh was transferred to the organisation's Yes Bank account. Vasavada also allegedly sent ₹50,000 through Paytm to Saxena's mobile number.

Including the ₹9 lakh cash payment made by his employee, the complainant alleged that the three men collected ₹39.16 lakh as commission for securing the government contract.

However, the promised order did not materialise.

Alleged Fake Documents and Bounced Cheque

When Vasavada sought official documentation to verify the authenticity of the proposed contract, the accused allegedly provided orders written on blank paper and asked him to arrange an official email from the Assam government website.

They failed to provide an authentic government order, following which Vasavada suspected that he had been cheated and demanded the return of his money.

After repeated requests and a meeting between Bhensdariya and the accused, Adhikary allegedly returned ₹15 lakh through RTGS.

The accused subsequently promised to repay another ₹14.16 lakh through a cheque sent by Chaudhary via courier, while the remaining amount would be paid in cash.

However, when Vasavada presented the cheque to the bank on two occasions, it allegedly bounced due to insufficient funds.

Despite repeated demands, the accused allegedly refused to return the outstanding ₹24.16 lakh and eventually told Vasavada to forget his money.

Following the complaint, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch registered an FIR under relevant BNS sections. Police are investigating the alleged tender fraud and the money trail involving the three accused.