Thane, Mar 23 (PTI) A man posing as an excise department staffer has allegedly cheated a 48-year-old hotelier of Rs 13 lakh after promising to get him a liquor sale license in Thane city of Maharashtra, police said on Sunday.

The accused contacted the victim, who runs a hotel in Kalwa area here, in January last year and claimed to be an employee with the state excise department in Nashik.

Also Read | Punjab Holi Bumper Lottery Result 2025 Out: Know Prize Money, How To Check Punjab Lottery Results Online at punjabstatelotteries.gov.in.

He offered to get the hotelier a license for sale of liquor and allegedly took Rs 13 lakh from him, an official from Kalwa police station said.

When the victim neither got the license nor his money was returned, he approached the police with a complaint.

Also Read | India Post GDS Results 2025 Out: Gramin Dak Sevak Merit List Released at indiapostgdsonline.gov.in, Know Steps To Check.

The police on Saturday registered an FIR against the accused under legal provisions for cheating and criminal breach of trust, the official said.

A probe was on into the case.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)