NRI Doctor Duped Of ₹1.87 Crore By Nephew And Girlfriend; Case Registered In Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): An elderly NRI doctor has been duped of properties and cash worth Rs1.87 crore by his nephew and the latter's girlfriend. Kolar Road police have registered an FIR against Nishith Tripathi and Pragati Srivastava for fraud and other offences. Further investigation is underway, police officials said.

Complainant Naresh Sharma, 67, a US citizen living in America for nearly 30 years, alleged that he came to Bhopal in 2018 to support his ailing sister and decided to purchase a house for his stay. Trusting his nephew Nishith, Sharma was introduced to Pragati, who allegedly gained his confidence.

Police said the suspects convinced Sharma to buy a bungalow in Singapore Villa Colony for Rs 88.45 lakh, but fraudulently got the property registered in Pragati's name while handing Sharma a fake copy showing him as the owner. Similarly, a luxury SUV worth Rs 18 lakh purchased for Sharma's sister was also allegedly registered in Pragati's name despite Sharma funding the vehicle.

The complaint further alleged that Nishith manipulated registry documents of another Arera Colony property to secure 50% ownership. Sharma also accused the duo of blackmail, extortion and threatening to implicate him in a false rape case if he approached police.