A 51-year-old man residing in Thane district, Maharashtra, has reportedly fallen victim to an act of deception, losing a substantial sum of money amounting to Rs 5.24 lakh. The alleged perpetrator, based in Delhi, approached the man during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering him an opportunity to engage in a medicine distribution business in collaboration with the Indian Railways. The victim, who had previously worked as an accountant at a hospitality firm, had unfortunately lost his job due to the adverse circumstances caused by the pandemic.
According to an official statement provided by the Navghar police station, the victim became aware of this prospective business endeavor through an acquaintance who informed him about the opportunity facilitated by the individual from Delhi. Consequently, the accused, promising the victim access to the medicine distribution business with the Indian Railways, succeeded in convincing him to part with a significant sum of money. Between the months of February 2021 and July 2022, the accused managed to extract a total of Rs 12.79 lakh from the victim, capitalizing on his aspirations and financial vulnerability.
However, the situation took a turn for the worse when the accused failed to fulfill the promise made to the victim. Although a partial refund of Rs 7.55 lakh was made by the accused, he failed to remit the remaining balance owed. Recognizing that he had been defrauded, the victim decided to take legal action and filed a formal complaint with the police on Saturday, prompting the Navghar police station to initiate an investigation into the matter.
As a result of the victim’s complaint, a case was registered against the accused under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to cheating. The authorities are currently conducting their inquiries into the incident; however, no arrests have been made thus far. The investigation will seek to ascertain the veracity of the victim’s claims and gather evidence against the alleged perpetrator, with the ultimate aim of delivering justice to the deceived individual and bringing the offender to account for their actions.