Malabar Hill resident loses ₹54 lakh to sex worker

MUMBAI: A 60-year-old NRI filed an FIR, claiming a sex worker cheated him of ₹54 lakh since 2019. Police are searching for her and her accomplices.

MUMBAI: The Malabar Hill police on Thursday registered an FIR after a 60-year-old non-resident Indian (NRI) alleged that a commercial sex worker he befriended in 2019 cheated him of ₹54 lakh by borrowing money under various pretexts. The police are searching for the woman whom he first met in 2019.

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According to the police they have registered a case against the woman and her accomplices under section 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

In December 2019, the complainant had come from California and resided in his Malabar Hill house. “He visited several places and then went to Lamington Road in South Mumbai where he met the sex worker, who went by Priyanka. Soon they became close to each other,” said the police officer.

Priyanka and he were talking to each other on regular basis. “She initially called him asking money as she was ill. Later, she demanded money from him to buy a house. She then took money from him claiming to be caught in a drugs case. Believing these reasons, he allegedly paid her around ₹54.20 lakh Out of this, ₹35 lakh were sent as bank transfers and around ₹19 lakh was paid in cash,” said the police officer.

Priyanka allegedly told the complainant that she will return his money. After seeing no sign of being repaid, the complainant stopped answering her calls approached the police, said the officer. “We have registered the case as the matter is old and we are trying to trace the woman,” said the police officer.