The Central police on Saturday arrested a man accused of having cheated aged women and duped them of their money and gold ornaments on the promise of securing them loans.
The arrested was identified as Mohammed Mustafa, 43, of Kasaragod. He was arrested on a petition filed by a 55-year-old woman.
The accused met the petitioner in the city on June 15 and feigned acquaintance claiming that he lived near the place where her daughter was married off to. He then engaged in small chat and in between asked her whether she had applied for the ‘COVID loan’.
He said that it was the last date for applying and took her to what she was told was a bank at the High Court promising her to help secure the loan. Before entering the ‘bank’, the accused asked her to handover her gold chain so that bank officials didn’t get the impression that she was rich.
He left on the pretext of depositing it at a nearby relative’s shop but didn’t return. Realising that she was taken for a ride, the woman lodged a police complaint.
In another petition at the Central station related to an incident on June 19, the accused cheated a 70-year-old woman and made good with ₹17,500. He met the petitioner while she was at the treasury to collect her pension. The accused convinced her that he lived near to her place and collected the money on the pretext of a medical emergency on the promise to return it after withdrawing from the bank immediately.
The police had zeroed in on the accused quite early in the investigation and had been after him. He was eventually nabbed from Perumbavoor based on a tip-off. He has 15 odd cases against him at Thaliparambu, Kannur, Payyanur, Pazhayangady, Thrissur, and Mangalapuram police stations.
The investigation team formed by Ernakulam Central assistant commissioner K. Laljy comprised inspector A. Vijaysankar, sub inspectors Premkumar, Anie Siva, and Vipin, and senior civil police officers Aneesh, Francis, Ranjith, Isahak, and Ignatius.
