An insurance agent and a businessman were arrested for allegedly cheating an astrologer on the pretext of procuring a prominent position in the ruling Congress party during the recent assembly elections held in Himachal Pradesh, the crime branch said on Tuesday.
The duo have been identified as Vikrant Poddar, 29, an LIC agent and his associate Pramod Kumar Jain, 50. They had also promised one Hari Dev Dwivedi, a professional astrologer, a role in ticket distribution during the polls only to cheat him of Rs. 7 lakh, said Ravindra Yadav, additional commissioner of police (crime).
According to police, Poddar told Dwivedi that once appointed, he would be allowed to play a vital role in ticket distribution.