With a case of a ‘mobile tower fraud’ being registered at Vittal police station a few days ago, Superintendent of Police S.D. Sharanappa has cautioned against advertisements for leasing land that may be “too good to be true”.
Talking to presspersons after the monthly Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes grievance meet here on Sunday, the SP said the modus operandi of the scam was to entice people into paying a deposit to set up a mobile tower on their land. The agency, through a newspaper advertisement, claims to offer benefits of Rs. 50 lakh in lump sum, Rs. 75,000 as monthly rent, and even employment for one person. In return, the person has to deposit around Rs. 55,000 with the agency.
On deposition of the money, people from the agency cut complete contact, he said.
“Our investigation shows that the racket is being run from Gurgaon. A team has been sent there, and we will nab the culprits soon,” Mr. Sharanappa said.
At the meeting, a Dalit activist raised the issue of a fake complaint that had been filed under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act at Sullia police station in July by a man who was not a Dalit. Mr. Sharanappa assured of an inquiry, and said the case would be referred to the Civil Rights Enforcement Cell.
Similarly, when activists complained that atrocity cases were not being taken seriously by police officers, the SP said officers at police stations had been asked to intimate immediately the Assistant Superintendent of Police and Deputy Superintendent of Police who would be in charge of the investigations.