Fake Karnataka Housing Board officer held for cheating site aspirants

A 29-year-old man who allegedly posed as an official in the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) and cheating people by promising site allotments has been arrested by Mahalakshmi Layout police.

Sridhar alias Hariprasad, a Shivanahalli resident, is said to be a film producer and a businessman. He was arrested on a complaint filed by Shankar G Hegde, an astrologer residing on West of Chord Road.

Shankar told the police Sridhar visited his office claiming to be a senior KHB official with a promise of getting a site. He made Shankar fill an application form. The same day, Sridhar sent a text message to Shankar saying he paid money to KHB to get site allotment for Shankar and made him pay Rs 1.73 lakh.

On December 18, he received another message from the app stating he should pay Rs 6.5 lakh as first instalment by December 21. When Shankar informed Sridhar, he went to Shankar’s office and took Rs 6.5 lakh in cash saying he would pay the KHB.

A couple of days later, Sridhar changed his mobile number and called Shankar saying he must pay Rs 4 lakh before December 25 to get an immediate site allotment. Shankar grew suspicious and confronted Sridhar, who returned Rs 3.4 lakh. After this, Shankar approached the Mahalakshmi Layout police.

Police, who arrested Sridhar on charges of cheating, have so far found that he has cheated eight people, including a woman.