A man, his wife and their two daughters have been arrested for allegedly cheating more than five people of over Rs. 1 crore by promising them Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) flats and government jobs.
According to police, Venkatesan alias Williams (48), a resident of Aynavaram, met George Edwin, his wife Maheshwari and daughters Nancy Priya, Preethibright and their relative Edward, through a common friend.
Venkatesan was made to believe that George Edwin knew TNHB officials and could easily get him a flat in the TNHB complex in Sholinganallur. They told him each flat would cost Rs. 7.5 lakh. Lured by the low price, Williams decided to purchase two flats in his wife Shanthini’s name. He paid them Rs. 7.5 lakh initially and Rs. three lakh in instalments.
With no sign of the flats or the money, Venkatesan lodged a complaint with the police. “We arrested the four in Chromepet, but Edward is absconding. We are searching for him,” said a senior police officer.
During investigation, it was found that the four had allegedly cheated people of their money by promising them government jobs in Food Corporation of India.
“Nancy Priya and Preethibright also told their college professor Thangavelu that their father could get him five flats in the TNHB complex in Sholinganallur and took Rs. 40 lakh from him. They also took Rs. 21 lakh from their classmate’s mother Kalavathi by promising her a piece of land in Velachery,” said the officer.
Besides, the family had allegedly cheated many others by promising jobs. They cheated a man called Manickam who works in a private hospital of Rs. two lakh by promising him a job in a government hospital. “They have cheated people of more than a crore of rupees,” said the officer.
