Suitor from Scotland’ dupes Chembur resident of 19 lakh

Accused Puts Up Fake Profile On Matrimonial Website

S Ahmed Ali TNN

Mumbai: A Chembur resident looking for the perfect match wasleft poorer by Rs19 lakhin a scam in which the accused duped her by putting up a fake profileon a matrimonialwebsite.
    On Monday,thecyber cellof the police arrested Mira Road resident Prem Kantilal Kalani (42) for his alleged involvement in the crime. He, along with Ashwin Choudhary, Anil Sharma and Pramod Yadav—who were arrested last week—are suspectedtobethe main beneficiaries.The policesaidthecomplainant in the case is a woman in her late-30s who runs a gas agency in Mumbai. Having been a widow for the past four years, she decided to remarry and put up her profile on a matrimonialwebsite.
    In January,she got a proposal from a person who called himself Alex Ivak alias Olrik. The two exchanged their email IDs and started chatting with each other. Alex claimed to be working as an engineer on an oil rig in Scotland. “The two became quite friendly. Alex said he had a seven-year agreement with the company, of which he had already completed five. He assuredher thathewouldcome to India after another two years,” said Nandkumar More, senior inspector. Alex also promised that he would take a short leave in May and come to India to get married.
    However, around mid-March, Alex told the woman that he would not be able to cometoIndia in the near future due to some problems in Scotland.Hesaid a mistakecommitted by him triggered an oil spill atthe rig;hiscompany incurred huge losses due to this. “Alex also told her that until he cleared the spillage, the environment department of Scotland would not allow him to withdraw his savingsor go anywhere.Hethen asked her for financial help. Alex said if she could lend him Rs14lakh,hewould returndouble that amount later. The complainant believed him and deposited the money in two bank accounts through RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement) in two installments,” said an officer.
    Alex did not chat with her for a while after that. Then, one day, he resurfaced and told her that while he had resolved the problem, the “oil board of the United Kingdom” had sent him anotice asking him to pay a hefty fine that amounted to Rs 5.5 lakh in Indian currency. His passport would not be released until he paid up, Alex claimed, requesting for more financial help. “Hoping to marry him soon, the woman deposited Rs 5.5 lakh in another account. However, she soon realized that something was wrong and filed a complaint. During the probe, we found that the three accounts belonged to residents of Goregaon, Malad and Mira Road,” theofficer said.
    The cops were trying to tracetheIP addressfrom where the fake profile had been created. They are welso trying to ascertain if thiswas a newformof theNigerian emailfraud.
    The police suspected that the accused cheated other people using similar means. They also learnt that Kalani got Rs 5 lakhof thetotalRs19 lakh.

1. Seeking to remarry, a widow in her late-30s creates a profile on a matrimonial website. A man who identifies himself as Alex Ivak gets in touch with her and they start chatting 2. Alex promises to marry her but later claims that he is embroiled in a problem in Scotland and needs money. The woman agrees to pay and transfers Rs 14 lakh to him 3. After some time, Alex asks for Rs 5 lakh. She pays this amount, too, but then smells a rat. She files a complaint and the police arrest four persons in Mumbai for allegedly duping her of Rs 19 lakh

Aug 11 riot: Law on provocative speech invoked

S Ahmed Ali TNN

Mumbai: The police on Thursday invoked a law, which deals with making statements with the intention to cause mischief, in connection with the August 11 violence. This assumes significance as the cops have maintained that there is prima facie evidence to show that provocative speeches were made at the Azad Maidan rally that preceded the rioting, which left two dead and dozens injured.
    Section 505 (1) (C) of the IPC pertains to a statement being made “with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community”. Persons making such statements can be punished with a jail term of up to three years and a fine, or both.
    The special investigation team probing the case suspects that at least two speeches delivered at the rally were provocative. Sources said invoking Section 505 was an indication that the police were likely to book the two community leaders who reportedly delivered the speeches. “A couple of speeches appear to be provocative. We are still legally examining them before coming to any conclusion. It’s a sensitive issue and needs to be dealt with very carefully,” a senior police officer said.
    However, a community leader said:. “Some local maulvis may have provoked the youths. But we have proof that to show that no such speeches were given at the rally. The troublemakers were outside the venue.”
    Meanwhile, Salim Mehtab Shaikh and Amir Yunus Shaikh who were discharged under Section 169 of the CrPC after
confirming that they were not involved in the rioting, were released from jail on Thursday.
    Last week, three others—Anees Dawre, Aslam Ali Shaikh and Abbas Ujjainwala—were also discharged. Abbas’s mother Batul Ujjainwala has written to joint commissioner (crime) Himanshu Roy, appreciating the manner in which the police have conducted the probe.
Cops get age wrong
    The 59th accused in the rioting case—who was arrested from Shivaji Nagar in Govandi on Wednesday—was produced before the 37th metropolitan magistrate’s court on Thursday. It was only then that the cops realized that he was only 16 years old. He was then produced in the juvenile court and sent to the children’s home in Dongri.

Kasab, Gawli cases to become teaching tools

S Ahmed Ali I TNN

MUMBAI: Delighted at their recent successes, the Mumbai
Police are planning to make teaching tools out of the convictions of terrorist Ajmal Kasab and underworld don Arun Gawli.

The police brass believe the efficiency with which the "two cases were probed, documented and followed up on" can serve as a lesson for the force. The police's legal cell has been asked to make PowerPoint presentations on the cases' investigations and prosecution.

After that step is complete , "we will conduct training sessions that will cover filing of an FIR, collecting material and corroborative evidence as well as technical and scientific evidence," said joint commissioner of police (crime) Himanshu Roy. The tutorials will also incorporate lessons on "how to safeguard witnesses and protect their identities" .

Roy said that many investigating officers lose focus once the chargesheet is filed. "Cases also fall apart since officers are unable to make their point well in court."

The home department has announced a reward for the officers who were part of the investigating teams probing Kasab and Gawli cases. Sources said chief minister Prithviraj Chavan may personally give the cash reward and appreciation notes to the officers.

Ramesh Mahale, chief investigating officer (crime branch), and 24 of his subordinates will be felicitated in the 26/11 case. The Gawli case was cracked by the crime branch's unit 3, which included inspectors Dinesh Kadam, Ninad Sawant, Dhananjay Daund (retired) and Yogesh Chavan.

The Times of India, September 3, 2012