2 held for duping trader of Rs2.56 cr

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 19

Two Mohali residents, including Arunjot Sodhi, a former media adviser of a senior Punjab politician, have been arrested for cheating a city-based businessman of Rs 2.56 crore on the pretext of a land deal.

Arunjot was operating his business from Sector 25 in Chandigarh. Another accused, Jagjeet Singh, is Arunjot’s driver. The accused were produced in a local court today, which remanded them in two-day police custody.

Sources in the economic offences wing (EOW) said, “The role of the wife of an OSD of a senior politician of the ruling party is also under the scanner as accused Arunjot had transferred Rs 35 lakh to the account of a publishing house, which was jointly owned by Arunjot and the OSD’s wife.”

The businessman, Rakesh Jain, complained to the police that Arunjot befriended him and advised him to purchase a piece of land worth Rs 2.56 crore at Mohali in 2013.

The complainant reported that an agreement was executed and a payment of Rs 1.56 crore was made through a cheque whiile Rs 35 lakh was paid in cash. Police sources said Jain subsequently came to know that the chunk of land was not registered in the name of the person from whom he was to purchase it.

“The FIR was registered after obtaining legal opinion,” said a police official.