**Mumbai Police Arrest Fraudster Who Duped Victims with False Promises of Loans and Railway Jobs**
Mumbai: The Marine Drive Police have arrested a fraudster for cheating a couple by promising a ₹10 lakh loan under the ‘Chief Minister’s Relief Fund’ and duping their nephew of ₹8.85 lakh by falsely assuring him a job as a ticket checker (TC) on the Vande Bharat train.
The accused has been identified as Sameer Prakash Chundmunge, a resident of Chembur. According to police, Chundmunge frequently roamed around Mantralaya and the MLA Hostel in South Mumbai, scouting for potential victims.
**Modus Operandi**
Investigators revealed that Chundmunge befriended the Shelke couple from Abhyudaya Nagar, Kalachowki, nearly two years ago. Claiming he could secure a loan of ₹10 lakh through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, he invited them to the MLA Hostel canteen and collected an initial payment of ₹50,000.
Later, he promised the Shelke couple’s nephew a job as a ticket checker on the Vande Bharat train and extracted ₹8.85 lakh for the same. However, Chundmunge neither arranged the loan nor provided the promised employment.
**Police Action and Investigation**
When the victims realized they had been cheated, they filed a complaint at the Marine Drive Police Station. Acting swiftly, police registered a case of fraud and arrested Chundmunge.
The Marine Drive police are now investigating whether he duped more individuals using a similar modus operandi. So far, it is believed that between 20 to 25 people have been victimized, with the total amount involved in the fraud estimated at ₹8.82 lakh.
According to investigators, the fraudulent activities have been ongoing since April 2023. The accused reportedly lured victims by promising easy loans and railway jobs, collected money, and then vanished.
**Current Status**
Chundmunge was produced before the court and remanded to police custody until September 29 for further investigation.
Police suspect more victims may come forward as the probe continues.
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https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-news-man-arrested-for-posing-as-cm-relief-fund-loan-agent-promising-fake-railway-job
