Conman uses Prince Narula’s name to cheat Mumbai resident of ₹5 lakh, booked

Mumbai Police booked an event manager for allegedly cheating a Parel resident of ₹5 lakh. The accused posed as a music producer and told the complainant to invest ₹5 lakh in an album that he is making with Big Boss Season 9 winner Prince Narula, and offered ₹7 lakh in return.

To gain the complainant’s confidence the accused, Krishna Kumar Sharma, also arranged a meeting of complainant’s son with Narula and introduced him with the model. However, after getting the money, the accused started ignoring the complainant, following which the complainant lodged a complaint. The police have mentioned Narula’s name in the complaint, but not as an accused.

Speaking to HT, Narula said, “Sharma, who is an event manager, misused my name, misguided me while introducing me to the complainant’s son. Sharma also owes me ₹8 lakh and has now cut all communications with me. He had offered to work with me for a music album, but the project never materialised. To save people from such conmen, I keep on posting awareness messages on my timelines on social media platforms and appeal people to directly contact my manager and verify things before sending money to any person taking my name.”

The complainant, Sheetal More, 50, works at the small cause court while her son Prasad is an aspiring model and music artist who also performs in music events. It is during one such event in Bengaluru that he met a person named Raj, who in turn introduced him to Sharma, who is originally from New Alipur, Kolkata.

Sharma told Prasad that he is making an album with Narula in America and is short of ₹15 lakh. He further added that Raj invested ₹5 lakh while another friend was ready to invest ₹5 lakh. He then asked Prasad to invest ₹5 lakh and get ₹7 lakh in return,” according to the first information report (FIR), a copy of which is with HT.

As Prasad and his mother did not believe them, Sharma, in 2018, called Prasad and Raj to a housing society in Andheri (East) where Narula lives and introduced them to Narula saying that the two would be investing in the music album, the police said.

After this, More and Prasad invested ₹5 lakh in the project in 2018 and signed an agreement with Sharma.

However, after receiving the money, both Sharma and Raj started ignoring the duo. Following this, More approached the police last year. Initially, the accused said he would pay back, so the police waited. However, the police have now registered an FIR against Sharma under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code for cheating.

Police sources said when More had called Narula, he had told her that he was working with Sharma on an album, but later something went wrong and they parted ways. Narula had also offered to help her.

More could not be contacted for a comment.