Man arrested for duping sis-in-law of Rs 19.50 lakh

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police have arrested a 45-year-old man on Tuesday for allegedly duping his widowed sister-in-law to the tune of Rs 19.50 lakh. EOW sources said that they booked Gulabchandra Chouhan, 45, under 406 (Criminal breach of trust), 420 (Cheating) and 345 (Wrongful confinement of person for whose liberation writ has been issued) Indian Penal Code. He was remanded in police custody till May 25, by the additional chief metropolitan magistrate’s court at Esplanade on Wednesday.

In her complaint, the victim Buniyadidevi Shabhunath Chouhan, 42, said that her husband was working as a welder in the merchant navy ship PV Harmony. He died on January 10, 2003 when the ship was in China. Later, his body was brought to Mumbai.

After her husband’s death, Buniyadidevi was to get compensation from her husband’s company – Singapore-based Pan United Shipping Pvt Ltd. The company wrote to Chouhan’s widow to furnish her banking details. Being illiterate, she requested her brother-in-law Gulabchandra Chouhan to assist her in the matter. Taking advantage of her illiteracy, he registered her name in his account as a joint account holder and took her signature on the bank form. Later, he sent the bank details to Pan United Shipping Pvt Ltd. The company deposited $55,000 equalling to Rs 25,28,515 in the said account. During the investigation, it was revealed that he forged the signature of the widow and took the rest of the money for his own use, an EOW officer said.