E-Paper
City police mull drive against friendship clubs
The police have decided to launch a crackdown on friendship clubs, which are proliferating in the city.
The police have decided to launch a crackdown on friendship clubs, which are proliferating in the city.
According to senior police officials, operators of these clubs often target youths and many gullible people have become victims to their nefarious designs. Recently, an employee of a Bangalore-based company was duped to the tune of Rs. 67,000 by one of such clubs. The victim, Sanjay Gupta, 25, was attracted by a newspaper advertisement that promised that he would get paid for dating with “beautiful women”.
The operators asked him to make an initial payment of Rs. 10,500.
“After that there was no word from the club. When I called them up, an employee of the club told me that I should make an additional payment of Rs. 67,000 to meet girls,” said Sanjay Gupta, who is in the city to pursue the case.
A police team traced the mobile number and bank account of the club. But the address given for the bank account is said to be fake.
“We have received many such complaints. Preliminary investigation shows the club had set up a proper call centre in the city from where they used run their operations. They work along with telecom operator and share revenue. We have recorded their conversations with clients. We are studying where there is any illegality involved in this. We are planning a drive against these centres,” said Triveni Singh, head of cyber crime cell in Noida.
