Posing as MP, conman calls Baddi businessmen for money

Solan, February 19

Three more industrialists of the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial area have received calls from an imposter, who demanded money posing as Shimla MP and BJP president Suresh Kashyap.

The Baddi police were apprised about the matter by the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Industries Association (BBNIA) as an attempt was made by the imposter to dupe the investors.

Since the police had failed to nab the miscreant, it appears he was emboldened to make more such attempts. Three such cases had come to fore three months ago in December in the BBN and Parwanoo. As per probe conducted by the police, the calls had been traced to Ahmedabad.

Two industrialists of Parwanoo and Nalagarh had been duped of Rs 2.22 lakh by an imposter posing as Kashyap. They had received calls asking them to donate money for the construction of a temple.

In another case, Shiv Sharma of Manjushree Technopack situated at Jharmajri in Barotiwala had also received a similar call for Rs 1.25 lakh. He, however, cross-checked with the MP, who is also the Himachal BJP president, and had not paid the money. The Barotiwala police had registered a case under Section 170 of the IPC.

In yet another case, Vinod Khurana, partner of Khurana Oleo Chemicals, Nalagarh, was duped of Rs 71,000 by a caller posing as Kashyap on December 11, 2021. The money was transferred to the bank account of Ronak Patel from IDBI Bank, Bapunagar, in Ahmedabad.

Parwanoo DSP Yogesh Rolta, said a police team had gone to Ahmedabad to trace the miscreant but the address, stated against the bank account, was fake.

Few efforts were made to trace the miscreant both by the BBN and Parwanoo police as each were looking at the other one to identify and trace the miscreant.

Two were duped in December

• Cases had come to fore three months ago in BBN, Parwanoo
• Two industrialists of Parwanoo and Nalagarh were duped of Rs2.22 lakh by an imposter in December
• They had received calls asking them to donate money for a temple
• Shiv Sharma of Manjushree Technopack in Barotiwala received a similar call for Rs1.25 lakh
• He cross-checked with the MP and didn’t pay the money