Man cons neighbour, takes ₹15 lakh for MCG job

The man, Ravinder Kumar, of Farrukhnagar’s Patli village, was paid a salary of more than ₹4lakh over two years out of the ₹15lakh he had given the suspect, said investigators

A 31-year-old man in Gurugram paid his neighbour ₹15 lakh in 2021 to secure a job in the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG). He got the job, and for two years also received a monthly salary of ₹20,000. However, he never went to work, and it did not make him suspicious at all because the salary came full and on time every month. Until one day in 2023, he visited bank to get his account statement and learned that it was not MCG but the neighbour who was crediting salary into his account every month. Disturbed, he went to MCG’s office in Gurugram, only to learn that the civic body had never employed him or paid him.

The case dates to February 2021, when Ashvani Yadav told Ravinder Kumar that his relative Poonam, who was an MCG official, could get him a field job, said investigators. (Representational image)

The man, Ravinder Dhankhkar, of Farrukhnagar’s Patli village, approached the police, who registered a first information report against the neighbour, identified as Ashvani Yadav, and his associate, Poonam, known only by a single name. Neither has been arrested yet, with the police saying they will collect details from Dhankhkar’s bank before taking action against the suspects.

The case dates to February 2021, when Yadav told Dhankhkar that his relative Poonam, who was an MCG official, could get him a field job, said investigators. Yadav asked Dhankhkar for ₹20 lakh to get him a job, but later settled for ₹15 lakh, they added. Dhankhkar paid Yadav and Poonam ₹15 lakh on February 13, 2021, said police officers familiar with the matter. According to them, Poonam impersonated an MCG official to dupe Dhankhkar.

However, Dhankhkar was never taken to the MCG office, said a senior police officer. In Febuary 2023, Dhankhar went to the bank and discovered that the ₹20,000 coming into his account every month was from Yadav, said investigators. Dhankhkar went to MCG’s office in Sector 34, where he was surprised to learn that MCG had never employed or paid him.

Dhankhkar went to the bank and discovered that the ₹20,000 coming into his account every month was from Yadav, said investigators.

Dhankhkar first submitted a police complaint against Yadav on June 9, 2023, but the latter gave a written statement that he would soon return the money, said investigators. When Yadav failed to comply, the police filed an FIR against him on Saturday.

Inspector Anil Kumar, Farrukhnagar police station’s house officer, said they will collect a detailed account statement from the bank. “Afterwards, we will take action against the duo,” he said.