Police constable held for cheating man of Rs 3 lakh

The Khar police arrested a 42-year-old constable of the Malwani police station on Tuesday for allegedly cheating a man of Rs3 lakh under the pretext of giving him a room in the Khar Danda slum in Khar (West).

The Khar police said the accused, Narendra Bhuga, was suspended a month ago for poor attendance as he had been missing from duty for several months.

The police had arrested his wife, Seema Bhuga, 39, in the last week of June for helping him execute the crime. A police source said Seema has multiple cases registered against her.

The complainant approached the police three months ago with a written complaint, stating that the Bhugas took Rs3 lakh from him as an advance payment.

“The advance payment was for a room in Khar Danda that they promised to construct and give the complainant possession of. However, as several months passed, the couple neither kept their promise nor did they return the complainant’s money. Hence he was forced to approach the police station,” said a police officer from the Khar police station.

Ramchandra Jadhav, senior police inspector, Khar police station confirmed the development.

An FIR has been registered against the couple under section 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. Seema has been granted bail. Bhuga was produced before a holiday court and remanded to police custody for further investigation.