Man arrested in Kerala for duping people for crores by promising scooters at half price

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Kerala Scooters Scam Anandu Krishnan

Anandu Krishnan

Kochi: A 26-year-old man has been arrested for his alleged role in duping people across Kerala to the tune of several crores by promising them scooters, sewing machines, home appliances and laptops at half price, police here said on Wednesday.

According to a senior police officer in Muvattupuzha here, the accused -- Anandu Krishnan -- has been promising to provide the two-wheeler, home appliances, etc at half price using the CSR funds of big companies since 2022.

Giving details of his modus operandi, the officer said that the accused had formed a society called Muvattupuzha Socio-Economic Development Society and urged its members to deposit money in a consultancy he had set up, saying that he could provide them two-wheelers at half price.

He had created various consultancies in his own name and conducted the transactions through them.

The accused convinced people that he was the National Coordinator of the National NGO Federation and that he had been entrusted with the responsibility of managing the CSR funds of various companies in India, the police said.

"Investigation revealed that around Rs nine crore was defrauded from Muvattupuzha in this way," the officer said.

He further said that the accused set up such societies in every block of the state and collected money through 62 "seed societies".

The officer said that based on cases registered against the accused in Muvattupuzha and Idukki districts, he has defrauded people for over Rs 20 crore.

Complaints have been received against him across the state and the swindled amount is expected to rise, the officer said.

The police also said that the role of certain political leaders was also being investigated in connection with the fraud.

Many companies were not even aware that the accused was carrying out the fraud by promising CSR funds from them, they added.

It is also said that the accused, during an interrogation, admitted that he had not received any CSR funds from any company so far.

Several cases have been registered against him for cheating and criminal misrepresentation, police said.

Kerala Scooters scam CSR funds CSR