KOLKATA: Prateek Bhattacharya, the self-proclaimed film producer who allegedly duped scores of people by hiring over 200 cars and then selling them online was nabbed by Kolkata Police from an amusement park in New Town area of the city on Saturday night.
While Bhattacharya was being produced at Alipore Court on Sunday, around 100 people — mostly complainants and their kin — gathered at the court premises demanding that the accused be handed over to them to be 'taught a lesson'. However, tight security was already in place and the accused was safely escorted to the court room.
Several of the victims testified at the court that the accused had approached them in September last year for hiring vehicles with posters of movies with names such as 'Bibaho Abhijaan' and 'Begunkodor'. After recording of statements of the victims, the court on Sunday awarded police custody of the accused till March 2.
Sources revealed that Bhattacharya's whereabouts was revealed by his accomplice Bapi Majhi who was arrested a few days ago. During interrogation, Majhi also revealed that several crore worth cars have been sold off in the stolen vehicle markets in Manipur and Nagaland.
The stolen vehicle markets of the two northeastern states are notorious for dismantling and then complete refurbishment of stolen vehicles with new number plates. Some of the complainants also stated that whenever car rent was demanded from Bhattacharya, he claimed that he was either at Dimapur or at Imphal and would pay the rent as soon as he returns back.
"We are coordinating with police teams of Manipur and Nagaland to track the stolen vehicles and are also investigating the nexus Prateek Bhattacharya had with the stolen vehicle dealers of the two northeastern states," a senior police official said.
Cases under several sections of the Indian Penal Code have been filed against Bhattacharya under various police stations of Kolkata and its suburbs.