KOCHI: The police have registered a case and launched a probe after a Maradu native was allegedly cheated by a person claiming that he has a close acquaintance with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The accused allegedly took money from the complainant offering a job in Indian Parliament.
It was on March 1 that a cheating case was registered at Maradu police station in Kochi based on the complaint lodged by the 59-year-old victim. The case was registered against a person named Anil Kumar, who also resides at Maradu.
“It was in 2021 that the victim came to know about the accused through his relatives. The accused said he is very close to Nirmala Sitharaman and has a good influence on the Central Government. As the victim’s son was looking for a government job, the accused offered employment at Indian Parliament in New Delhi. He managed to convince the complainant that a backdoor appointment for his son can be made for the job,” a police official at Maradu Police Station said.
As demanded by the accused, the complainant gave Rs 3 lakh to the accused on various transactions made between November 2021 and January 2022. However, after paying the amount, no appointment was made. On the persistent demand of the complainant, the accused returned Rs 1 lakh.
“The complainant claimed that the accused is yet to pay the remaining Rs 2 lakh to him. Last week, we heard from both complainant and the accused person. We are also collecting more information about the accused person and checking whether he has any similar antecedents. We would decide on further steps after conducting a detailed probe,” a police officer said.