On thursday, a suspended 26-year-old coast guard officer was arrested by the Borivli police for cheating his neighbour of Rs 31 lakh after promising him a job. The police have recovered fake appointment letters from the accused, Vishal Rathod, which will be produced in court as evidence. Rathod was picked up following a complaint of cheating filed by his neighbour, Nitin Tannaveer.
Vishal Rathod has been sent to judicial custody Rathod, a resident of Borivli, is suspected to have duped several other people as well. In fact, he was arrested in 2009 for abducting his girlfriend’s (now his wife) 17-year-old sister. According to the cops, Rathod had then befriended the girl and eventually convinced her to get ransom money from her parents by pretending to be kidnapped.
The police said he had told the sisters they would set up an airline company together. Rathod later married his girlfriend and moved into a house in Gorai. It is here that he met Tannaveer, who worked in a private company. The accused lured him with promises of a fat salary as a coast guard officer. In October last year Tannaveer gave Rathod Rs 31 lakh so that he could land his dream job.
When he did not get the job or his money back till June, Tannaveer registered a case with the Borivli police, accusing Rathod of cheating him. Police sub-inspector Suresh Salunkhe told SMD, “We arrested Rathod on Thursday night. He has been sent to judicial custody. Further investigations are on.” (MD)
