The Congress on Friday taunted the Prime Minister after it emerged that a Chinese national had allegedly cheated Indians of Rs 1,400 crore and left the country, saying Narendra Modi could use central agencies to harass political rivals but not to catch frauds.
“Successive escapes of Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and now Chinese national Woo Uyanbe prove that Modi government is not a guardian of ‘public money’ but a ‘travel agency’ facilitating ‘Fraud, Fleece & Fly to Foreign Shores’!” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said.
Woo Uyanbe alias Chamber is alleged to have duped 1,200 people in Gujarat of Rs 1,400 crore in just nine days, with a fake football betting app. Some estimates put the amount at Rs 4,600 crore.
Agra police had initiated an inquiry on complaints from some people in Uttar Pradesh who were also cheated through the Dani Data app. The first case was registered in Gujarat in August 2022. The Gujarat CID filed the chargesheet in court on March 16, 2023.
The Congress spokesperson asked how Woo Uyanbe was allowed to leave the country. Pointing to photographs that purport to show Uttar Pradesh police promoting the app, Khera asked if anyone from the BJP ecosystem was involved.
The Dani Data app lured football lovers to invest in it for quick returns, mopping up around Rs 200 crore every day. The investors could see their gains on the website, and got encouraged to put in more money. The app disappeared after a few days.
A lookout circular has now been issued for Woo Uyanbe and his accomplices in Banaskantha and Patan, two of whom have been identified as Nayan Shah and Lakhan Thakkar. Five people have been arrested so far.
Addressing a news conference, Pawan Khera said: “Till December 2022, the Gujarat police had received 1,088 complaints, and over 3,600 complaints on helpline 1930 from people who have been cheated. According to the Gujarat CID, the money was then routed to Dubai and European countries. It could turn out to be a huge hawala scam and money could have been used in terror funding. In December 2022 itself, the CID had informed the NIA, ED and the GST department to join the investigation. Several fake bank accounts in the names of fake companies have been registered.”
Khera asked why the “EOW (Economic Offences Wing), SFIO, ED, CBI, DRI and immigration agencies” could not catch the Chinese national or stop his digital deception.
“Why was the Modi government ‘asleep at the wheel’ while hundreds of people were looted by Dani Data app and were posting their plight on social media?”
Khera said the Prime Minister and home minister Amit Shah were using the “Enforcement Directorate (ED), CBI, (Serious Frauds Investigation Office (SFIO)… etc to target Opposition leaders” but not scamsters who loot Indians and flee the country.
“Uttar Pradesh police promoted this Dani Data app, a football betting app, thereby earning the trust of common people before it was realised that the app was a scamming scheme. There are numerous pictures available on social media where UP police are seen posing with the ‘Dani Data App’ sponsored ‘Love Donation’ banners! This is not possible without instructions from the top,” Khera said.
He added: “Why did UP police promote ‘Dani Data App’? Who is behind this promotional campaign? Is someone from the BJP ecosystem in Yogi Adityanath-ruled Uttar Pradesh behind this collaboration? Wasn’t there a background check?”
The Congress spokesperson recalled how massive drugs seizures have been reported in the last few years from Gujarat and several cricket-betting rackets have been busted in the state.
Some other local frauds have also been caught for allegedly cheating politicians, government officials and common people using the name of the Prime Minister’s Office.
“A spate of betting scams with hawala transactions from Dubai and Ukraine have been witnessed in Gujarat. After the series of drug seizures, is the BJP now pushing Gujarat towards gambling?” Khera asked.
