KOCHI: The police probe into the activities of Tripunithura-based couple Reji Paulose and Ajitha Reji, who duped crores from banks by pledging property documents of others, has revealed that the couple hoodwinked the verification system of the Income Tax department to obtain multiple PAN cards to commit the fraud.
Police officers said the probe found some startling details on how Reji used fake addresses to get different PAN cards and passports. He had taken a new passport using a fake name and address after a local court impounded his old passport in connection with a criminal case. “We have launched a detailed probe.
He has got help from different places to commit the fraud it seems,” an officer said. As per the details collected by the police, Reji had registered 13 different companies using fake names. The probe found that he had taken four PAN cards using different names such as Reji M P, Reji Malayil, Reji and Regi P while his wife Ajitha Reji used names like Ajitha, Ajitha Antony and Ajitha Reji to take different PAN cards.
Ajitha is still absconding. Meanwhile, 10 complainants approached the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) seeking a detailed probe by a central agency into the scam. “We have submitted a complaint before the PMO. We want a comprehensive probe into the scam,’’ said Manuel Jacob, a complainant.
In the complaint submitted before the PMO, they contended that ‘there are many poor people who have been cheated by the accused... Many of the victims lost their assets and property... Hence, an investigation by the enforcement agency is necessary.”