Hunt on for conman who pocketed Rs 15 lakh

Mumbai: Sleuths of the Naya Nagar police station are on the lookout of an imposter who vanished after allegedly duping a Mira Road resident of Rs 15.05 lakh under the pretext of providing a license for gas agency by identifying himself as an ex-army personnel.

Acting on a complaint filed by fish wholesaler Arif Memon, the police have registered a case under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code against the accused identified as Shankarlal Kukreja, who has gone absconding.

In his police complaint, Memon stated that he came into contact with the accused through a common friend in 2017. Claiming to be ex-army personnel, Kukreja convinced the complainant to believe that he was entitled for a license to set up a gas supply agency under the government quota for his meritorious work. Memon fell prey to the plot and transferred Rs 15.05 lakh to Kukreja’s bank account via two RTGS transactions early this year. However, the promised deal never materialized, nor was the money refunded. Memon registered a police complaint, however by then the accused had absconded.

It emerged that Memon was not alone, as the accused had duped several others by promising attractive returns on investments in a non-existent peanut trading business, the police said.