Mumbai A 45-year-old vendor, who sells chana in a stall outside Breach Candy Hospital on the Bhulabhai Desai road at Cumballa Hill, was cheated to the tune of ₹16,400 by frauds posing as army officers.
The vendor, Ravindra Achhelal Pal, a resident of Banganga tank locality, informed the Malabar Hill police that on July 25 he got a call from a person named Rahul, who claimed to be the purchase officer of the Indian Army. He informed him that they wanted to purchase 20 kg roasted chana for the jawans.
“I told him that my rate is ₹600 per kilogram and he agreed. Then, he asked me to deliver the chana at the earliest to their Colaba address,” said Pal.
On July 31, Pal took a cab and reached the address and waited for an hour for someone to show up and take the delivery. When no one turned up, Pal called Rahul, when he was informed that nobody was available on account of it being Sunday. He then gave Pal a number and asked him to call it for his money.
“When Pal dialled the number, he was told to pay a small amount as deposit to be refunded with the amount of ₹12,200 payable to him – ₹12,000 for the roasted chana and ₹200 taxi fare,” said a police officer from the Malabar Hill police station.
When Pal deposited ₹1 in the account number, he was sent ₹2 back. “Though I could suspect foul play, I trusted him when they sent me ₹2 back. Hence, I deposited a total of ₹16,400,” said Pal.
Not only did he not receive any refund, the frauds asked him to pay ₹28,000 more. Pal then approached the Malabar Hill police and filed a case.