Chandigarh Housing Board staffer held for duping businessman of ₹22 lakh

Complainant told the police that he was looking to settle his two sons, and the accused had offered him help in lieu of money.

A senior assistant working in Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) was arrested for duping a businessman of ₹22 lakh on the pretext of getting his son a job in CHB and sending another son overseas, the police said on Saturday.

After receiving the money, the complainant neither honoured his commitment nor returned the money. (HT FILE)

Kuldeep Kumar Luthra of Modern Housing complex (MHC), Manimajra, had lodged a complaint in this regard four years ago on the public window at the Chandigarh police headquarters after which an inquiry was marked. In his complaint, Luthra had named one Surinder Kumar, 53, of Sector 27, Chandigarh, alleging that he had duped him of ₹22,25,000.

The police registered a case under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code on Friday, after obtaining legal opinion.

Luthra told the police that he was looking to settle his sons, and the accused who claimed to be an employee of CHB had offered him help in lieu of money. Luthra said he has known Surinder for a decade now.

Surinder had assured him that one of his sons will get a job in CHB and the other will be sent overseas. After receiving the money, however, Surinder failed to honor his commitment or return the money, Luthra told the police.

Surinder was produced before the court and remanded to one-day police custody.