Kerala godman dupes philanthropist of Rs 5.5 crore, booked

The police have booked a Kerala-based self-proclaimed 'godman' for allegedly duping a 72-year-old philanthropist to the tune of Rs 5.5 crore, media reports said on Tuesday.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the philanthropist, a Powai resident and managing trustee of Warrier Foundation, named A S Madhavan, was duped on the pretext of receiving an award along with a Rs 25-crore cheque for relief works during the 2018 floods in Kerala.

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As per the police report, in September 2018, Swami Sunil Das Prabhakaran of Palakkad-based Muthalamada Charitable Trust called up Madhavan and told him that his organisation had been selected for an award given in the name of T N Seshan, former chief election commissioner, for constructing houses for flood-affected people.

Madhavan was subsequently invited to receive the award at a ceremony in Palakkad where he received an award at the hands of a former ISRO chief. He was also awarded a cheque of Rs 25 crore.

However, the cheque did not have a specified date mentioned. When Madhavan asked Prabhakaran about the same, he was urged not to deposit it right away.

Madhavan also claimed that Prabhakaran informed him that a loan was impeding the release of the award funds and requested Madhavan for Rs 1.5 crore, which the philanthropist probvided. Prabhakaran then requested Rs 4 crore from Madhavan to pay off another loan.

Later, when Madhavan went to encash the Rs 25 crore cheque, it was dishonoured and his organisation did not receive any money. Meanwhile, requests to Prabhakaran to return the money fell on deaf ears.

The philanthropist eventually approached the Powai police. A case under Sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code has been filed against the godman.

A probe is under way.