Maharashtra: Four BJP legislators cheated by online fraudster

The Bibvewadi Police have lodged a case against an unidentified cyber fraudster after it received a complaint that four women BJP legislators from Maharashtra were cheated of Rs 3400 each via UPI based fraud on July 18.

Parvati BJP MLA, Madhuri Misal, one of three legislators was defrauded for a similar amount and her daughter Puja who is a resident of Camp has lodged the FIR in this regard. The other three lawmakers are MLA Devyani Pharande, Shweta Mahale and Meghana Bordikar.

The FIR states that MLA Misal received a call from a person identified as Mukesh Rathod who told Misal that his mother was hospitalised and requested for financial help. The legislator transferred the money via UPI and later realised that she has been conned.

After some time, she received calls from her colleagues who complained that they had been cheated in a similar fashion and a joint complaint was given in this regard to city police. Bibvewadi Police Station In charge Vilas Sonde said that initially the complaint was lodged with the cyber cell which transferred the case to the police station for lodging an FIR.

"The investigation is on and based on cyber forensics and other evidence available, we will trace the accused and further action will be taken. The incident took place on July 12 and then the complaint was given to the city cyber cell. The legislators shared their experiences about the fraud and then it came to the fore that a common person was behind it," he said.

MLA Pharande represents Nashik Central assembly seat while MLA Mahale represents Chikhli assembly segment in Buldhana while MLA Meghana Bordikar represents Jintur assembly segment in Parbhani district. The police have invoked IPC 420 ( cheating ) and relevant sections under the Information Technology (IT) Act. No arrest has been made so far.