Chhattisgarh cops arrest teacher-turned-fraudster, wife on the run for six years

A school teacher-turned-businessman who made a fast buck by allegedly duping people across Chhattisgarh was arrested after six years and sent to police remand for seven days on Wednesday.
Image for representational purpose only.
Image for representational purpose only.

RAIPUR: A school teacher-turned-businessman who made a fast buck by allegedly duping people across Chhattisgarh was arrested after six years and sent to police remand for seven days on Wednesday.
Rajesh Sharma, a former teacher at St Xavier School in Chhattisgarh, launched Dolphin International School in 2005 and within a span of five years, expanded the network into a chain of some 40 schools across the state. He managed to rope-in actors —Mukesh Khanna (Shaktimaan fame) and Gufi Paintal (Shakuni in Mahabharat tele-serial) as ambassadors to promote his ambitious project.

In 2010, Sharma allegedly collected `60 crore from the parents through a scheme under which each student would have to make a one-time deposit at the time of admission. Over 20,000 parents were asked to deposit ` 50,000 to `1 lakh for different classes as ‘one-time payment’ during the admission in return for the free education for children till Class 12.

Sharma fled from the state with the money in April, 2011, suggest reports. Subsequently, the worried parents lodged two separate FIRs against him. Based on the inputs provided by the informers, a special police team from special investigation cell, left for Hyderabad where Sharma and his wife Uma, who was an alleged accomplice in his dupe-scheme, were arrested and brought to Raipur by Chhattisgarh police, the investigating officer RR Bhoi said.

During the six years the school director evaded the police arrest and stayed in Chennai, Himachal Pradesh, Gaziabad, Hyderabad living in different identity, said the officer. “At Gaziabad he managed to secure fake PAN and Aadhar Card in which he got himself identified as Bhagat Deghram and his wife as Lajwanti Navrathri”, the Raipur police told the New Indian Express.

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The New Indian Express
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