Ahmedabad: Conman or playboy extraordinaire?

A face and a name to go with it are all that exist of Sujal Singhania in police files even as the cops continue their hunt for the Casanova-cum-conman who is believed to have cheated several girl students of Gujarat University of close to Rs35 lakh.

Good looks, an easy going manner, quick wit and charm to go with it - Singhania had it all, except money. But it is the brilliance with which he operated that has impressed even the police who are looking for him.

"The people he cheated had known him for two years. They knew everything about the place he had rented, including where his lunch box was kept. Yet they did not know which state he belonged to, who his parents were or his antecedents," said a police officer investigating the case. He said that the fact that Singhania - the police don't really believe that to be his true identity - could continue to cheat people for over two years is testimony to the fact that he was indeed a smooth operator and a glib talker.

The conman had a flashy lifestyle. In fact it was his show of wealth that got him friends. Claiming to be the sole heir of Singhania industries, he befriended the daughter of a top government official.

"The official was so impressed with Singhania that he had even agreed to get his daughter married to him and, in the process, gave him Rs10 lakh to renovate his house," said a cop.

At different points of time, Singhania presented himself as a son at odds with his father, a youth who had lost his mother and the only son of a top cop in Delhi, said the police officer.

Uncanny anticipation
That Singhania had planned his moves carefully right from the beginning is evident from the fact that the bike that he drove had a fake registration.

"The bike's registration number was, in fact, that of a Pulsar bike. He not only removed the chassis number of its engine but also ensured that it would be difficult for the police to trace him using the vehicle," said another policeman associated with the investigation.

The officer further said that the bike, Hyosung, was launched in 2005 by Kinetic but that company that manufactured it had shut down some years ago. Hence, the police were now finding it difficult to get the details of the vehicle.

Singhania used to live in rented accommodation. The permanent address he gave was that of the rented house he had lived in while in Vadodara. The driving licence that he had shown as identity proof was also fake.

"This shows that he had the cunning to cover his tracks. Everywhere we go we are hitting a wall," said another cop.

Modus Operandi
Sleuths investigating the case said that Singhania lured his victims by flashing his so-called wealth. "He would drive expensive cars borrowed from his friends and potential victims, and always be available at the GU canteen," said a cop.

Then he would befriend other youths there, particularly those from rich families. "He would order food for his gang and always insist on paying for it. Unlike others who keep a wallet to carry cash, Singhania would take out bundles of Rs500 to pay for the food. This established him as the son of a rich man. Hence those around him easily believed him to be the heir of Singhania Industries or the sole son of a top cop in Delhi," said the cop.

Once he had established himself as a rich brat, Singhania would tell sob stories about his mother being ill or him not getting on well with his father. "He would then borrow money from his friends, particularly girls, and initially in small amounts," said the cop.

The police officer said that even his rent was paid by his girlfriends. He would borrow from one to impress the other and thus the cycle continued. He was a regular at the house of the girls he cheated.

Not much against Singhania
Cops say that even if they manage to nab Singhania, he will be soon out on bail. At present there is only one case - that of cheating - registered against him. It was filed by a man whose car Singhania had taken out for a drive.

The car was eventually found abandoned close to HL College but the Rs5 lakh kept in it was missing. "The only complaint against Singhania is that of cheating. Two more of his victims, one of whom is the daughter of a businessman, have approached us. Both had given over Rs10 lakh to him after falling for his sob story. But fearing social stigma they have refused to file a complaint," said the cop. A cheating complaint is a bailable offence and if caught Singhania will be out soon unless his other victims come forward and file a complaint.

GU’s efforts
The Gujarat University, where Singhania operated, had put up posters of him to warn students. But the posters had to be taken off as students had started drawing graffiti on them.
    (With inputs from Ritesh Shah)