Chairman of the Darjeeling Hills autonomous administrative council, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and senior GJM leader Pradip Pradhan was arrested on Wednesday on charges of fraud and cheating.
Pradhan, better known as Pradip instead of his real name Bhupendra, was elected as the chairman of GTA in August 2012. Police said Pradhan and ten others were arrested on Wednesday for cheating and criminal conspiracy as they defrauded many people trying to pass off brass coins as a valuable artefact.
While details remain sketchy and police are yet to determine the real value of the coins, sources in Siliguri and Darjeeling said Pradhan and his associates reportedly brought in antique collectors and have been defrauding them for some time.
Police are interrogating Pradhan and his associates to determine if such incidents of cheating have taken place before, while also trying to ascertain the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha leader’s precise role in the alleged racket.
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