Man held for cheating Railway job aspirants

Thane, July 31 (PTI) A 24-year-old man was arrested from Thane district for allegedly cheating 14 unemployed persons of approximately Rs 14 lakh under the pretext of offering them jobs in Railways, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Lalit Shivnath Shakti, had created a social media account under different identities to advertise 'jobs' in Railways, an official said.

Shakti, a resident of Ulhasnagar, was nabbed from a spot near Thane railway station on Monday on a tip-off by the crime branch.

"The accused had created a Facebook account with fake names and different mobile phone numbers. His modus operandi was to target educated unemployed youths by promising them employment in Railways and taking money and documents," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shivraj Patil.

He prepared fake documents, including appointment letters, and passed them off as genuinely issued by Railways.

"The accused used to switch off his mobile phone after accepting money from victims," he added.

Preliminary investigation suggests the accused was working along and no involvement of any Railway personnel or official has come to the fore, the police officer said.

An FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita on July 27 and conducting investigations. PTI COR NSK