Nagpur: A retired police officer has been defrauded of Rs 6 lakh by a scamster who promised to secure jobs at Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) for his relatives.
The accused, identified as Birbal Shivkumar Chaudhary, a resident of New Chankapur Colony, Khaparkheda, has been booked by the police for fraud.
According to Sadar police in Nagpur, the victim, Rajendra Mahadev Dhopte (60), a former Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) who retired in February 2022, lodged a complaint with the police following the fraud. Rajendra had known Birbal since July 2010, when Birbal was employed as a clerk at Pipla Mines. Birbal allegedly presented himself as a person capable of securing jobs at WCL and claimed to have successfully placed several candidates in the past.
Rajendra, seeking employment for his niece, Reena Harish Dhopte, and two acquaintances, Risha Sandeep Avasarmol and Ulhas Ramakant Pandey, was convinced by Birbal’s assurances. He agreed to pay Birbal Rs 4 lakh for the job placements, but Birbal later demanded an additional Rs 2 lakh. He cited that the candidates were older and hence required more consideration. Rajendra complied and handed over Rs 6 lakh along with the necessary documents of the candidates to Birbal in the Raj Bhavan area in Sadar.
Birbal provided appointment letters for all three candidates, but claimed it would take some time for the official process to be completed. Suspicion arose when Rajendra visited the WCL office and noticed a different name on the clerk’s board. Upon investigation, he discovered that the appointment letters were fraudulent. The regional manager confirmed that the documents were fake. Rajendra then approached Birbal for a refund, but the latter refused. Later, Rajendra filed a complaint with the police station. A case of fraud has been registered by Sadar police.
