Mumbai: A 52-year-old pathologist who runs a lab in Mira Road was duped of Rs 20 lakh by a fraudster who lured him with an offer of conducting health check-ups of 10,000 employees working with an Indian origin multinational company (MNC).
In his complaint to the police, the pathologist stated that he received a call from a person who claimed to be the managing director of a healthcare firm which also engaged as a third-party administrator (TPA) which acted as an intermediary between insurers and policy holders.
The accused claimed that he had bagged a contract of conducting health check-ups of 10,000 employees working in the MNC and asked the complainant if he was interested in the work.
A few days after giving his nod, the accused called up the complainant seeking financial help as he was unable to raise Rs.40 lakh to be paid as refundable deposit to the company.
The complainant transferred Rs.10 lakh to the specified bank account and also reverted signed documents of the agreement copies to the email account of the accused.
A few days later, Acharya claimed that he had bagged another contract of conducting health check-ups of 2900 employees working in South India-based branches of the same MNC. This time he fleeced another Rs.10 lakh with the same reason on 29, April, 2024.
When the complainant expressed his desire to meet the MNC officials, the accused started giving lame excuses. Sensing something fishy, the complainant established contact with the officials, but was shocked to learn that the MNC never arranges such health check-up camps and the agreements were never processed in such a manner.
The complainant immediately rushed to the office of the accused in Mumbai which was found to be closed. Upon enquiring, the owner of the property revealed that the establishment was closed since December, 2023 and the tenant (health care firm owner) had vacated the premises without paying rents and salaries to its employees.
Realising he was cheated; the pathologist approached the Naya Nagar police station in Mira Road where an offence under section 420 of the IPC was registered against the accused who is still at large. Further investigations were on.
