Mumbai: Friendship over tea costs 68-yr-old retired BEST official Rs 22 lakh

Mumbai: A 68-year-old retired BEST official has alleged to be duped of more than Rs 22 lakh by two youths, who befriended the elderly during his visits to a tea stall.

The duo accused would slyly ask the sexagenarian to give them his mobile phone for playing games. In this manner, they gained access to the man’s online payment gateway's login and password and siphoned off Rs 22,35,000 between April 8 and June 27.

According to the Dindoshi police, the complainant had retired from service in 2012 and had received Rs 20 lakh as his retirement pay. He also had a property in Andheri, which he had sold for Rs 40 lakh.

The man had a deposit of Rs 26 lakh in a bank account. As a habit, he would frequent a tea stall near Dindoshi bus depot wherein he came in contact with both the youths and developed friendly relations with them.

In his complaint, the man stated that the accused would often ask for his mobile phone to play games, but he didn’t sense anything amiss.

On Saturday, when he visited his bank, he was shocked to find out that only Rs 20,500 balance was left in his account.

Through the bank account statement, he discovered that the accused had transferred several lakhs to different accounts.

Based on the complaint, the police registered a case on Sunday under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to furtherance of common intention, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, identity theft.