Scribe fooled into investing in Web series, loses ₹60,000

The journalist has been identified as Kumari Ranjana whereas the accused in the case has been identified as Sammer alias Deepak Bhatnagar from Andheri West, Mumbai

In what underscores the perils associated with the Internet, a journalist, 59, hailing from Pimple Saudagar found herself in the clutches of a scam from which she could not extricate herself without losing a substantial amount of ₹60,000.

According to the police, when the said journalist conducted an interview with Harish Shah, she came into contact with the accused and the two knew each other since 2020. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

The journalist has been identified as Kumari Ranjana whereas the accused in the case has been identified as Sammer alias Deepak Bhatnagar from Andheri West, Mumbai. The fraud is reported to have unfolded from September 12, 2020 till date, and a complaint regarding the same was registered at Sangvi police station on June 1, 2024.

According to the police, when the said journalist conducted an interview with Harish Shah, she came into contact with the accused and the two knew each other since 2020. One day, the accused approached her and told her that he was making an interesting Web series and that she should invest in the same to get good returns. The unsuspecting journalist invested amounts of ₹50,000 and ₹10,000 in the make-believe scheme. However, the accused did not make any Web series and refused to repay the journalist the amount she had invested in it.

When realisation dawned that she had been taken for a ride, the journalist approached the police on June 1 and lodged a complaint against the accused under sections 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Investigation is underway in the case.