Two arrested, three others absconding

Shivamogga: Shivamogga Cyber Crime, Economic Offences & Narcotics (CEN) Police have arrested two persons, who had conned a Mysuru Civil Engineer and a Contractor from Sagar taluk to the tune of about Rs. 36 lakh. The arrested persons along with others had cheated the two in the guise of Minister K.S. Eshwarappa’s Personal Assistants (PAs).

Those arrested are Khajivalis and Vittal Rao of Shivamogga and those who were conned are Mysuru Civil Engineer C. Rajesh and Contractor B. Lakshman of Barur Muttalbail in Sagar taluk. Rajesh and Lakshman had lodged separate complaints against Mohammed Rehman of Mangaluru. Vittal Rao, Manjunath and Khajivalis and Mohammed Mufasir of Arasikere in Hassan district with the CEN Police.

According to the complaint, the five conmen, who met Rajesh, told him that they would get him Rs. 100 crore loan to undertake a villa project and had taken Rs. 10 lakh from him in February, 2020. But when Rajesh realised that he has been cheated after he was made to run here and there, asked them to return his money only to be threatened with life by them. Meanwhile, Contractor Lakshman, in his complaint, has stated that the miscreants had taken Rs. 26.25 lakh from him in July, 2019, saying that would get him the tender of installing pure drinking water units across Bengaluru and had cheated him.

The CEN Police, who took up the investigation, arrested Vittal Rao and Khajivalis and have launched a hunt to nab others, who are absconding.