Ludhiana: Budding actress duped of ₹19 lakh on pretext of role, 3 booked

The Division No. 5 police have registered a case of cheating against Mandeep Singh Grewal alias Ravi, along with Gurmeet Kaur and Noorpreet Singh, all residents of Bassian Bet village

A budding actress has alleged that she was duped of over ₹19 lakh by a man posing as a Punjabi film producer, who allegedly lured her with promises of acting opportunities and help in resolving her brother’s marital dispute.

The actress alleged that the accused cheated her of ₹10.37 lakh in cash and gold jewellery worth ₹9 lakh. (HT Photo)

The Division No. 5 police have registered a case of cheating against Mandeep Singh Grewal alias Ravi, along with Gurmeet Kaur and Noorpreet Singh, all residents of Bassian Bet village. Police said an investigation has been initiated.

According to the complaint filed by Surinder Kaur, a librarian at Punjabi Bhawan associated with the Punjabi Sahit Academy and also an artist in Punjabi films, she came in contact with the accused during a film shoot. She alleged that Grewal introduced himself as a producer with strong political connections and promised her roles in upcoming projects.

The accused allegedly gained her trust by offering assistance in settling her brother’s marital dispute and arranging his divorce. In January 2022, he initially took ₹50,000 for this purpose and continued to extract money under various pretexts, including film opportunities.

The complainant further alleged that during a meeting in Mullanpur, the accused was accompanied by Gurmeet Kaur and Noorpreet Singh, whom he introduced as his wife and son, and had money transferred to Noorpreet’s bank account. In total, she alleged that the accused cheated her of ₹10.37 lakh in cash and gold jewellery worth ₹9 lakh.

She later discovered that the main accused is a gangster currently lodged in jail in another case and claimed his associates have issued threats warning of serious consequences upon his release.

Citing safety concerns, she has sought transfer of the probe to Fatehgarh Sahib.

Police said an FIR has been registered and further action will follow verification of facts.