Man cheats over 2,500 women of ₹7.74 lakh, held

Manor police on Monday arrested a man for cheating 2,580 widows in Palghar taluka of ₹7.74 lakh. The accused Rahul Vadu, 25, from Kurje Dagdipada, promised them

Manor police on Monday arrested a man for cheating 2,580 widows in Palghar taluka of ₹7.74 lakh. The accused Rahul Vadu, 25, from Kurje Dagdipada, promised them ₹40,000 each to start small businesses. Vadu would tell the women that he worked for a reputed charitable organisation, and asked them to pay ₹300 as ‘application fee’. The accused worked as a housekeeper in a city-based hospital.

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Vadu had quit the job in October 2019 and decided to cheat the widows, said assistant inspector Pratap Darade of Manor police station. He formed a 11- member team who fanned in the hamlets to lure victims.

Vadu would tell the women to make a ₹300 demand draft as ‘application fee’ and in return they would get ₹40,000 as startup funds to start small businesses. He put up banners of the organisation all over Jawhar, Vikramgadh and other areas to win confidence of the victims, said Darade. He would also assure that the organisation will also construct roads, provide electricity, drinking water and would show slides of the projects undertaken, said Darade.

One of the victim, Rajshri Tandel complained to police as Vadu did not return her Aadhar card, bank passbook, her husband’s death certificate, ration card and other documents.

“We have arrested Vadu and booked him for cheating and impersonation and other allied sections of the Indian Penal Code,” said Darade.