ক’ভিড প্ৰৱঞ্চনা: চিকিৎসা সামগ্ৰীৰ নামত কোটি টকা আত্মসাৎ, ব্ৰিটেইনত ভাৰতীয় মূলৰ দম্পতীক শাস্তি
A businessman of Indian origin, Yogesh Bhandari, has been jailed in the United Kingdom for defrauding companies of millions of pounds by promising to supply medical protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. His wife, Meenakshi Bhandari, has also been convicted of money laundering, with investigators finding that the couple spent the fraud proceeds on luxury cars, expensive watches, jewellery and overseas travel.
According to British media reports, Yogesh Bhandari and his associate Craig Morris assured several institutions in the United States and Germany that they could supply hundreds of thousands of boxes of nitrile gloves for hospitals during the pandemic. However, instead of delivering the promised goods, they pocketed the money and used it for their own personal purposes.
An investigation by Britain’s National Crime Agency revealed that the fraud money was used to purchase a Porsche car worth approximately 126,000 pounds. The stolen funds were also spent on luxury watches such as Rolex, jewellery, other high-end cars and lavish travel. Investigators found that the money was additionally used for home renovations and to repay family debts.
Following a five-week trial at Leicester Crown Court in July 2026, Yogesh Bhandari, his wife Meenakshi Bhandari and their associate Craig Morris were all convicted. On October 16, Yogesh Bhandari was sentenced to eight years in prison, while Craig Morris received a sentence of three years and nine months.
Meenakshi Bhandari was handed a two-year prison sentence, although it was suspended for two years. She has also been ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid community work and participate in a 15-day rehabilitation programme.
Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the world faced an acute shortage of medical protective equipment, and this fraud was committed by exploiting that crisis. According to the investigating agency, such crimes not only cause financial losses to businesses but also obstruct the supply of essential materials to hospitals at a time of crisis.
Original Source: https://assam.nenow.in/indian-origin-couple-sentenced-in-the-uk-for-multi-crore-fraud-involving-covid-19-protective-equipment/
Category: অসম,শীর্ষ সংবাদ
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Publish Date: 2026-10-20 20:13:00
