Man falls for ‘reward’ in exchange for Re 1 note; loses Rs 10 lakh
Mumbai, Apr 19 (PTI): A cashier of a state-run insurance company lost Rs 10.38 lakh after fraudsters lured him with the promise of a hefty reward in exchange for a Re 1 note, an official said on Saturday.
The incident came to light on Thursday, when the 45-year-old complainant, a resident of Mumbai’s Santacruz West, approached the West Region Cyber Police Station, the official said.
The man, who works at the Churchgate branch of the insurer, told the police that he came across an advertisement while watching social media reels on February 23.
The ad promised a reward of Rs 4.53 lakh to those producing a one-rupee note. It had a WhatsApp number, the official said.
The cashier sent a photo of a Re 1 note on the WhatsApp number, following which a person, who introduced himself as Pankaj Singh, got in touch with him. Singh said he worked at a coin shop.
The caller asked the man to fill out a form and collected Rs 6,160 for "registration". After some time, he again called the complainant, saying the earlier amount was incorrect and he would need to transfer Rs 6,107, the official said.
The caller also promised that the previously transferred amount would be refunded. Subsequently, Singh connected the complainant with another person, who identified himself as Arun Sharma.
Sharma sent the victim a letter from “RBI” about winning the reward in exchange for a Re 1 note.
However, the two smooth-talked the cashier and collected Rs 10.38 lakh from the complainant under various pretexts, the official said.
The cashier realised that he had been duped when the accused told him the reward amount could be raised to Rs 25.56 lakh if he paid Rs 6 lakh more. He then approached the police.
A case has been registered under the IT Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the official said, adding that a probe was underway.
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Telangana BJP MLA seeks abolition of family planning for Hindus
Hyderabad, May 5 (PTI): Telangana BJP legislator Paidi Rakesh Reddy on Monday called for the abolition of family planning for Hindus, so they can have more children.
Addressing a party meeting in Nizamabad, the Armoor MLA, indirectly referring to last month’s terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, said that the terrorists had asked if the victims were Hindus before killing them.
He asserted that only unity among Hindus could protect future generations and safeguard the country.
He also remarked that the "opposite person" was "playing the game" with 11 to 12 children and roaming around with bombs, while "our" children were scared even of firecrackers.
"I am telling all of you, brothers and women, since you are all here, I am requesting that family planning for Hindus be abolished. Give birth to a sufficient number of children. The unity of Hindus is the only way to stop these guns. We are one. If there is no Dharma, there is no country. And if there is no country or Dharma, there are no future generations. Kashmir is an example of that," he claimed.
Reddy further stated that the terrorists in the Pahalgam attack did not ask the victims about their caste—whether they were blacksmiths or barbers, Tamilians, Maharashtrians, or Telugus. "Did they ask? They asked if you were Hindu," he said.
The BJP leader could not be immediately reached for clarification on his statement.
Reacting to Reddy’s comments, Congress Lok Sabha member Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said that in a secular country like India, religion should not be used to criticise or compare issues.
"This does not address the real problem and instead creates unrest in the country. Rakesh Reddy’s comments, provoking Hindus to have more children, reflect personal views. If the government wants to promote such activity in the national interest, that's a different matter," the Congress MP said.
He added that as a responsible elected representative, Reddy should not provoke people in the name of caste.
