INDORE: An Australian has been allegedly duped of $177,000 (around Rs 1.38 crore) by an Indorean who posed as a software developer and promised an agreement with a multinational technology firm, police said on Sunday.
The victim, Paul Shepperd, is suffering from terminal brain cancer, an officer said. Shepperd’s complaint, filed with Annapurna police station, says that he came in contact with the accused, Mayank Saluja, in 2018 while looking for someone to develop a video calling/conferencing web application.
The accused started pointing out ‘problems’ in the operation of a web application, and made him believe that a special app needed to be developed for the company’s platform, say police. He insisted on an associate partnership with the firm, the victim has told the police.
Saluja introduced a man named Atharv to Shepperd, claiming he was his school friend and that he worked as a manager with a multinational company, says the complaint. The accused allegedly assured Shepperd that Atharv would arrange a licence and sign an agreement with the firm for listing of his application as a default feature.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused gained the victim’s confidence on the basis of the agreement, and then swindled money on various occasions amounting to $177,000,” a police officer said, adding that Shepperd was apparently told that he had to purchase the “company’s shares” in order to be an associate partner. Saluja is also accused of taking money on the pretext of creating an NGO, filing tax returns and other formalities.
Shepperd eventually reached out to the MNC and found out about the fraud. He then approached Indore police and filed a complaint on Saturday evening.
“We have lodged a first information report (FIR) on the basis of the victim’s complaint. A probe has been initiated and action will be taken accordingly,” Annapurna police station in-charge Gopal Parmar said.
