A senior citizen has been arrested for allegedly posing as MLA Sardar Tarasingh on the phone to dupe a south Mumbai-based businessman. The accused, a scrap dealer, called the victim on his phone pretending to be Mr Tarasingh. He mimicked the MLA’s voice and asked the businessman to provide money to a needy person. According to the police, on September 19, Jalaram Mehta (name changed), who knows the MLA, received a phone call. “The caller identified himself as Sardar Tarasingh and told Mr Mehta that the relative of a man known to him is unwell and in need of money. The caller requested the victim to help him. He asked the victim for '1 lakh, but he could only give '21,000,” a police officer said. The officer added, “Since the caller’s voice was very similar to Mr Tarasingh, the victim did not suspect any foul play and on the caller’s instructions, he sent his employee Kalpesh Shah to deliver the money to the man, known as Rakesh, who was about to catch a train at Mumbai Central.” The next day Mr Mehta called the MLA to inform him that the money had been given. When the latter told him that he had never called him, Mr Mehta realised what had happened and lodged an offence with the DB Marg police. Following a tip-off, the Ghatkopar crime branch officials on Saturday nabbed one Dhanbir Singh Sohansingh Khurana, a native of Uttar Pradesh. Khurana, who has been handed over to DB marg police, confessed to his involvement. The police is now looking for the other accused, Rakesh. “Two cellphones used in committing the offence were also seized from Khurana’s possession,” another officer said.
*** Hc notice to rail minister on sports quota petition Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the HC has issued notices to the railway minister and the senior personnel officer of South East Central Railway seeking reply on a petition on sports quota recruitment. The bench of Justices Vasanti Naik and Atul Chandurkar, which heard the petition last week, sought the replies within two weeks. Petitioner Nagpur District Football Association has objected to a condition for recruitment of sportspersons as per the 2002 policy framed by the SECR. The condition requires that a candidate, to qualify for sports quota, must have actually played and merely being a part of the team would not suffice. The Railways had issued an advertisement for recruitment in the sports quota last August. Petitioner’s lawyer Virat Mishra argued that it violates the sportsperson’s fundamental rights. — PTI
