Kochi: A man was arrested from Kadavanthra here on Saturday for allegedly cheating several people and collecting lakhs of rupees from them by promising jobs in the Ernakulam collectorate. The arrested was identified as Vipin Lal, 28, of Pazhayil house, Trikodithanam, Kottayam. He was arrested by the Kadavanthra police following a probe into a complaint lodged by a Kadavanthra native.
According to the police, Vipin used to establish cordial relationship with the victims first. “Among other things he would tell them that he had earlier worked in the collectorate and knew the officials there personally. After some time, he would offer to help them get jobs in the collectorate saying there were vacancies to various posts like driver and office staff,” said Mr T. Shaji, Sub- Inspector. The accused would take the victims, one at a time, to the collectorate premise and ask them to stand outside. He would go in and return with a ledger with their names in it.
“The victims would be asked to sign and a fake appointment letter would be given to them on the collectorate premise itself. He would ask them to pay advance there and force them to transfer the remaining money via bank account. The victims would realise the fraud only when they go to the collectorate on the ‘joining date.’ He would flee thereafter changing the SIM card,” the officer said.
During the probe, it was revealed that he had tricked many people in Kottayam, Changanassery, Trikodithanam among others. “The Changanassery police had registered a case against him for cheating Rs 6 lakh from a person there. He was arrested from a rented apartment at Kadavanthra,” he said. In his complaint, the Kadavanthra native claimed that the accused had cheated him of Rs 2, 66, 500.
