Realtor duped of Rs 2 crore, accused held

New Delhi: A 50-year-old man has been arrested on Wednesday for allegedly duping a real-estate businessman of Rs 2 crore in the form of demonetised currency on the pretext of getting it deposited in a bank account in Northwest Delhi’s Keshav Puram area, the police said.

Kapil Mehta approached the police with a complaint on November 22 that he had been duped of Rs 2 crore by Pushpendra Khari, alias Lalit Verma, who had promised him that he would help him in depositing his money in the form of demonetised currency in a bank, said Milind Mahadeo Dumbere, DCP (Northwest).

Mr Mehta told the police that there were four persons, Krishan Prakash, Neeraj Garg, Manzar Alam, Hemant Mishra and Subhash Singha who made him meet Khari on November 18 for depositing the money, said the officer.

Mr Khari told Mr Mehta that since he knew the bank manager of Punjab National Bank’s Trinagar branch, the process of opening the account and depositing Rs 2 crore in the current scenario would be expedited, he added.

After Mr Mehta had given the cash, he felt suspicious about Khari. When Kapil kept demanding the cash from him, he kept postposing and then went incommunicado, said the ofifcer. Following this, Kapil filed a complaint and the accused Khari was arrested on Wednesday from Netaji Subhash Place, he said. “Acting on specific information that Khari would come near Pearl Height Tower, Netaji Subhash Place, in connection with exchanging of the cheated money, the team laid the trap and overpowered the accused near the parking area of the tower,” said Dumbere.

During initial interrogation, Khari confessed duping Mehta and disclosed that the money had been kept at different locations in Gurgaon, Dwarka and Lodhi Colony. “In total, Rs 3.51 crore in the form of demonetised currency notes have been recovered. Other people have also come forward alleging that they have been cheated of more than Rs 2 crore in a similar manner. Their complaints are being verified and efforts being made for further recovery,” he added. Khari has been previously involved in more than 10 cases under Arms Act, vehicle thefts, cheating and attempt to murder. He has a small business of textiles and is fond of luxury vehicles, the police added.