Police are on the lookout for a man who allegedly duped his childhood friend with a business plan, conning him out of Rs 3.1 lakh.
The suspect, identified as Umar Sharif, 40, met his childhood friend after 25 years and recollected their school memories. Over the next two weeks, he met him regularly and won his trust before slowly pitching a business plan.
Sharif boasted to his friend about his "contacts" in the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) and said that he could get him electronic devices seized by the airport authorities at throwaway prices. He suggested to the friend that he could sell the goods for a premium and make a profit.
When the friend was drawn by the idea, Sharif asked him to invest immediately or else he would miss the opportunity. After the friend gave him Rs 3.1 lakh, Sharif took him to the airport on October 6 on the pretext of providing him with the gadgets. However, he made the friend wait from morning to 6 pm, and later switched off his phone.
Sharif subsequently filed a complaint with the airport police station. Police have registered an FIR under IPC sections related to cheating and dishonestly, inducing delivery of property.
A police officer close to the investigation said that the suspect was still on the run and that investigations were still on. He suggested that the suspect might have left the airport soon after taking the money and made the complainant wait only to mislead him.
Published 10 October 2023, 21:07 IST