-- Samir Umarye
BICHOLIM, JUNE 23 Barely weeks after Bicholim police nabbed a Manipuri woman on charges of duping a Bicholim man of Rs 1.09 lakh in the million-dollar SMS case, another person from Amona-Bicholim was duped of Rs 35,000 in a similar SMS racket. Ranjesh Lolo Sawant of Sawantwada-Amona, Bicholim, told Bicholim police that he had deposited Rs 35,000 in a bank, after he received an SMS on May 5 stating that he had won a jackpot of one million US dollars. Sawant was then asked to send his details though an e-mail. “Sawant was sent a certificate, copy of the cheque issued in his name with the prize money along with an agreement to claim the money after depositing some initial money in a bank,” informed Bicholim police PSI Terence Vaz Later, Sawant was sent a scanned passport copy of the person who would contact him in Goa. He was also sent a copy of a court from London and asked him to deposit more amount as court clearance fees. “It was only then that Sawant suspected foul play and registered a police complaint,” said PSI Vaz. “Both cases seem to have their roots in Delhi and we are trying to trace the mobile details,” informed PSI Vaz, while commenting on the two similar cases registered with Bicholim police in the last two months. It may be recalled that Laxman Damle (39) of Kasarpal-Bicholim received a similar SMS on his mobile phone on April 2, stating that his mobile number had been selected for the prize money worth 100,000 British Pounds (Rs 75 lakh). The SMS had also asked him to reply to claim the money. Excited over the deal, Damle replied to the SMS and was told to deposit money in a on an account given by the person. Believing in the SMS, Damle deposited Rs 1.7 lakh in three installments in the account as told by an unknown person over the phone. It was only after insistence by his friends Damle registered a police complaint with Bicholim police under Section 420 IPC. Later, Bicholim police arrested one Ratika Waipe of Munerika-Manipur at an undisclosed place in Delhi and also recovered Rs 1.09 lakh from her account. Waipe was booked under Section 66 of Information Technology Act and is presently released on bail with an assurance that she would report at Bicholim police for seven days.
