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Man promises farm equipment, cheats couple of Rs 68 lakh over 3 years

Mangaluru: A man from Hassan had cheated an elderly couple from Belthangady taluk of Rs 68 lakh over three years after promising to sell them agricultural equipment.

Police said Suresh H N, 38, a resident of Adarshnagar in Hassan, promised to supply agricultural implements and insecticide to the complainant, Irene Pinto, 71, a resident of Laila in Belthangady taluk.

Sources said the couple lived abroad for many years, and bought agricultural land in Belthangady and moved here after they retired. In 2014, they received a call from a man offering to sell them agricultural equipment. He asked them to transfer Rs 4,850 to him, which he did. Every time, he called them and asked for money, they would send him cheques or make bank transfers.

In 2015, Suresh had visited the couple’s home and took an order for manure. He asked for Rs 1.41 lakh, which they transferred to his account. The demands for money continued and they transferred money to various bank accounts 114 times.

They told police that they transferred money to various companies, Anugraha Fashion, Anugraha Agro Care and Anugraha Home Appliances, owned by Suresh’s accomplice Kalpana MR. Despite transferring several lakhs, the couple did not get the equipment.

They kept calling Suresh and he would visit them. His last visit to their house was on February 27 this year.

When the couple complained to the police, they summoned Suresh to the station. During questioning, Suresh confessed that he had five blank cheques issued by the complainants. On September 8, he used two of the cheques and tried withdrawing Rs 9.63 lakh and Rs 4.45 lakh but the couple had stopped payment of the cheques.

The couple said Suresh signed a confession in the station, and transferred Rs 5 lakh to their account. He issued four cheques of Rs 5 lakh each, and asked them to present the cheques with a gap of a month each.

The cheques issued by Suresh bounced and the couple went to the police again. However, the police returned the complaint saying it was a civil case, the couple said.

The couple then approached senior police officers and a case was registered at Belthangady police station.