Conmen duping the jobless is nothing new. But here’s a case of a person posing as an Inspector in the Chief Minister’s security team and buying a duplex house with the money collected from youngsters assuring them Home Guard jobs.
The accused G. Nagendra Prasad, 45, was arrested along with his relative U. Anitha Kumari, 36, and a police constable working as driver in Police Transport Organisation Y. Madhu, 36. He had purchased two lorries, gold ornaments and household articles worth Rs. 5 lakh with the money collected from the victims, Cyberabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand said on Tuesday.
He was arrested twice earlier by the Nagarjunasagar police of Nalgonda district and the Punjagutta police here once, on charges of cheating job seekers. Even as the trial of the cases is on, the ‘trickster’ started a fresh job-for-money fraud and met Madhu 10 months ago.
Claiming contacts in DGP’s office, Prasad told the constable that he can provide home guard jobs for Rs.1 lakh each. Within a few weeks, Madhu collected nearly Rs. 40 lakh from 40 candidates hailing from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and West Godavari districts. Keeping 20 per cent as his commission, he passed on the remaining sum to Prasad who provided him with application forms and fitness certificate forms. But, when the ‘candidates’ did not receive any appointment letter months later, they started putting pressure to return the money or get the jobs.
Prasad continued to deceive the applicants by making calls to a phone claiming it to be the number of a senior official in charge of appointments. The phone was being answered by his second wife’s relative, Kumari, living in Rajahmundry, said Cyberabad Special Operations Team Inspector Ch. Kushalkar.
However, with relentless pressure Prasad gave them fake appointment letters in the name of Commandant, Home Guards, Hyderabad. But the trick was up when the applicants went to the commandant’s office with the letter. SOT officials recovered three police uniforms, three safari dresses and fake police ID card from Prasad.
