Mumbai doctor duped of Rs 7.33 lakh by cyber fraudster posing as cop
Mumbai (PTI): A 27-year-old doctor of a civic-run hospital here was allegedly duped of Rs 7.33 lakh by a cyber fraudster who posed as an officer of the Mumbai police, an official said on Saturday.
A case under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating) and 465 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act was registered against the unidentified accused last week, the official said.
The complainant, Dr Blessy Esther, a senior doctor at KEM Hospital, alleged that she received a phone call from an unknown number on February 29, and the caller identified himself as an employee of a courier company, he said.
The caller informed the woman that the authorities at the Mumbai airport had intercepted a parcel in her name containing five passports, three credit cards, 140 gm of mephedrone pills, clothes and a laptop, the official said.
As per the complaint, the call was allegedly transferred to the cyber police, who questioned the doctor and when she denied knowledge about the parcel, asked her to lodge a police complaint, he said.
The accused, posing as a police official, also initiated a video call with the complainant, during which, she noticed the Mumbai police logo, the official said.
During the video call, the doctor was informed that several fake bank accounts had been opened in her name, and the money was used to fund terror activities, he said.
According to the first information report (FIR), the accused also sent the complainant a letter on the letterhead of the deputy commissioner of police (cyber) with a forged signature of Navi Mumbai commissioner Milind Bharambe, and he informed her that she would receive intimation from the Reserve Bank of India.
The complainant received intimation from the RBI from an unknown phone number, which contained a code, and she was directed to deposit Rs 6.8 lakh with the bank so that the authorities could verify all her bank accounts, the official said.
The complainant was informed that the money would be returned to her within half an hour, he said.
The doctor transferred the amount to the bank account mentioned in the letter, and the accused again asked her to pay Rs 48,800 for filing affidavits in her name to give her a clean chit, the official said.
When the doctor did not receive the money back, she realised that she had been duped and approached the police, he said.
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Make polling hours 6am-7pm for May 7 LS polls, Karnataka BJP urges EC citing heatwave
Bengaluru, May 3: Citing the ongoing heatwave in the state, Karnataka BJP on Friday petitioned the Election Commission with a request to modify the polling hours to the 6am-7pm period in the 14 parliamentary constituencies in the state that goes to polls on May 7.
Polling is currently scheduled to be held in the second phase in the state in 14 segments in the northern districts between 7am to 6pm on May 7.
"It has become hard to come out and vote between hours 10.00 to 17.00 due to uncontrollable heat. The average heat in those parts (north Karnataka) covering 14 parliamentary constituencies are between 37 and 42 degree (Celsius). The mercury is rising at an alarming level and it would become hard for the electors to come out and vote," BJP's petition said.
The petition highlighted the alarming rise in temperatures, which are expected to go beyond 40 degree Celsius, and also stated that the number of voters over the age of 40 is high and that they are vulnerable to the heatwave.
"To keep up the good spirit of voting, necessary action should be taken," the BJP petition urged the Election Commission, saying, "In this background, it is requested to modify the time of voting in the 14 parliamentary constituencies from 06.00 to 19.00 hours on May 7".
Polling was held between 7 am and 6 pm during Karnataka's first phase of the Lok Sabha polls in 14 constituencies on April 26.
