Mysore/Mysuru: Former Corporator R. Somasundar has been arrested by the Lakshmipuram Police on charges of allegedly cheating a street vendor of Rs.12 lakh by defaulting on the promise of getting a MUDA site. Retired Dy.SP Vijaykumar, who too is said to have been involved in the case, has gone absconding.

One Venkataraju, a resident of Bank colony in Bogadi, who runs a fast food joint in city, in his complaint to Lakshmipuram Police, has stated that he came in contact with ex-Corporator Somasundar in 2019 through his friend Dinesh, a parota seller. Some days later, Somasundar, promising to get a MUDA site for Rs.12 lakh, took Venkataraju, along with Dinesh to Anandnagar near Sharadadevinagar and showed him a vacant site (Site No.135 measuring 20’x30’). Subsequently, a few days later, Somasundar summoned him to a hotel near the City Courts complex on June 14, 2019 where he (Somasundar) received Rs. 2 lakh from him (Venkataraju) as advance towards the cost of site.

Subsequently, Venkataraju gave Somasundar Rs. 2 lakh on Aug. 8, 2019, Rs. 4 lakh on Nov. 4, 2019, Rs. 2 lakh on Nov. 23, 2020 and Rs. 2 lakh on Nov. 24, 2020, totalling Rs.12 lakh. After receiving Rs.12 lakh in total, Somasundar gave copies of filled up Property Tax Self-Assessment form, payment challan, challan paid to MUDA and the MCC notice asking him (Venkataraju) to pay the balance amount for the site, in order to convince him.

After a few days, he went to Somasundar and asked him to get the site registered in his (Venkataraju) name. But Somasundar gave some excuse or the other whenever he met him which created doubts. He later went to the MCC and MUDA Offices to check the veracity of the documents given to him by Somasundar and came to know that they were all fake. He later called Somasundar a number of times and demanded him to return the money (Rs.12 lakh) saying that he did not want the site. But Somasundar failed to respond to his pleas and gave vague answers.

Unable to answer Venkataraju anymore, Somasundar summoned him through his friend Dinesh to a hotel on Vinoba Road two months ago, with an assurance of returning the money. When he went to the hotel and met Somasundar, who was seated along with retired Dy.SP Vijaykumar, Somasundar told him that he cannot register the site and started abusing him, besides threatening him with dire consequences. He also warned him of murdering him and his friend Dinesh if he lodged a complaint to the Police, Venkataraju said in his complaint and sought legal action against Somasundar and Vijaykumar, who had cheated him of Rs.12 lakhs on the promise of a site and also gave him fake documents concerning a site that belonged to someone else, in order to make him believe.

Based on the complaint, Lakshmipuram Police registered a case against R. Somasundar and Vijaykumar and arrested Somasundar. He was produced before a Court yesterday evening, which remanded him to judicial custody. Police are on the lookout for the retired Dy.SP, who has gone absconding.