Elderly man duped of Rs 36 lakh on false job promise

A 68-year-old man from Vartak Nagar has been duped of Rs 36 lakh by unidentified persons on the false promise of providing a job in a US-based company, police said today.

According to police, the victim, Balwant Ranade, was looking for a job and had applied to various establishments. In June last year, he received an e-mail purportedly from a petroleum company based in Dallas in USA.

The mail said that he was being selected for a position of a stores supervisor in the company. It also gave him an 'appointment letter' and instructed him to get in touch with one Lawrence Arnesto for further procedures.

Within a couple of days, a person, who identified himself as Lawrence, contacted the victim over phone and email and directed him to get in touch with two others persons for the visa formalities, police said.

"The victim acted as per the instructions of the trio, believing that he has bagged the job. He made a payment of Rs 36 lakh from time to time. On August 23, 2017 he was asked to be present at the BKC centre of the US visa processing office," API Chandrakant Yadav of Vartak Nagar police station said.

"Ranade went to the office and tried in vain to get in touch with them for the visa on telephone. He then approached the US Consulate, where he did not get any response. Then he tried to contact the trio via e-mail, but did not get any response even there. He then realised that he has been duped," they said.

Police have booked the unidentified accused under IPC sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust).

Further investigation into the case is on.