The Hindu : New Delhi News : Man arrested for duping job-seekers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 24, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Man arrested for duping job-seekers

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JUNE 23. One person has been arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi police for allegedly duping several persons in the name of sending them to the U.S. for jobs. The accused used to dupe people in connivance with his brother who was settled in the U.S. and allegedly used to pose as an officer of Qatar Consulate to the United Nations in New York.

According to the police, the Fraud and Cheating Section of the EOW had received a complaint from one Feroz Zaidi of New Friends Colony about a person who had duped him of Rs. 4 lakhs in the name of sending him to the U.S. A team under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police, M.K. Sharma, raided the house at Zakir Nagar in Okhla and arrested the accused, identified as Iqbal Parvez Siddiqui, on Tuesday evening. He has been remanded to three-day police custody.

Earlier, Feroz had come in contact with Iqbal in October 2003. Iqbal told him that his brother, Afzal Parvez, was an officer in the Consulate of Qatar to the U.N. in New York and could arrange visas for the U.S. and also the job of a chauffeur for him.

Iqbal convinced Feroz by getting him to talk to his brother, Afzal, who is settled in the U.S., over the phone. Subsequently, Iqbal demanded Rs. 10 lakhs for arranging visas for him, his wife and also his son. It was decided that Feroz would pay Rs. 4 lakhs in advance and the rest would be paid after the job was done.

On December 2, 2003, Feroz paid up Rs. 1 lakh through cheque and another Rs. 1 lakh in cash. Iqbal, in return, gave two post-dated cheques for Rs. 1 lakh each to Feroz to gain his confidence.

This year on February 23, Iqbal informed Feroz that Afzal had despatched his appointment letter and visas for his family would be arriving soon. He then asked Feroz to arrange for Rs. 2 lakhs immediately. Feroz reached Iqbal's residence and was shown two letters, purportedly issued by the Consulate of Qatar to the U.N. While one was for the job as a chauffeur, the other was for visas. Feroz took the photocopies of the letters and paid up another Rs. 2 lakhs. He also handed over the passports of his family members to Iqbal.

Subsequently, however, Iqbal began avoiding Feroz following which he reported the matter to the police.

The police have recovered several incriminating documents including blank identity cards, purportedly issued by the Qatar High Commission in New Delhi, passports, copies of appointment letters and other documents from Iqbal's house. The police said he had been duping others using a similar modus operandi.

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