Mumbai, September 12: A fake army officer allegedly duped a 33-year-old man from Dadar to the tune of Rs 18 lakh on the promise of getting electronic items at highly discounted rates from the Indian Army's canteen. The accused has been identified as CK Manikanta. Police officials said that the accused duped his neighbour, Raghu Tumma, after gaining his trust. The accused first bought an iPhone 13 for Rs 42,000 for the accused.

Notably, this helped the accused gain the victim's confidence. Following this, the accused took Rs 18 lakh from Tumma and his relatives on the promise of getting electronic items at discounted prices. However, after taking their money, the accused fled, reports the Hindustan Times. Acting on Tumma's complaint, the police registered a case against the accused. Bread Price Hike in Mumbai: Prices of Sliced White Bread Increased by Rs 2-8 per Loaf, Here’s Why.

In his complaint, Tumma said that the accused came to stay next to him in December 2021. The accused told Tumma that his father was a corporator in Andhra Pradesh while his mother was a doctor. The accused also said that he was working with the Indian Army and transferred to Mumbai recently. In May 2022, Manikanta told Tumma that he gets huge discounts on electronic devices from the army canteen.

The accused told Tumma that he could get an iPhone 13 for him at Rs 42,000, which was available in the market for Rs 72,000. Following this, the accused gained Tumma's trust after he brought him and his friend's mobile phones at discounted rates. Later, the accused told Tumma he could purchase electronics for himself and his relatives at discounted prices.

"He then took ₹6.76 lakh and even used the complainant’s credit cards to the tune of ₹1.2 lakh and took an additional amount of ₹10 lakh from the complainant in the name of purchasing a room. Later he left the place to visit his native for some work and did not return," a police officer said. After duping Tumma, the accused fled. Mumbai Shocker: Man Commits Suicide in Sion-Koliwada After Slapping Wife and Rendering Her Unconscious.

When the complainant realised he was duped, he approached coops and lodged a complaint. Cops suspect the accused is a fraud who cheated the victims in a well-planned conspiracy and fled with their money.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 12, 2023 03:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).