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Home > News > India News > Article > Phony airline executive takes realtor for a ride

Phony airline executive takes realtor for a ride

Updated on: 08 July,2011 07:53 AM IST  | 
Amit Singh |

Accused provided forged tickets to the victim in return for Rs 30,000

Phony airline executive takes realtor for a ride

Accused provided forged tickets to the victim in return for Rs 30,000

Discount is a dirty word for builder SS Bhasin. A person who introduced himself as Amit Kumar, who claimed to be working as Enquiry Executive in Kingfisher Airlines at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Terminal-3, visited Bhasin's office at Le Meridien's commercial tower in the Capital.


Fare play:u00a0CCTV grab of Amit Kumar

Kumar approached and offered his services for providing air tickets of Kingfisher at the victim's doorstep. "He also claimed that since he is an Executive in Kingfisher Airlines, he will provide us discount on ticket booking," said Rajesh Mishra, officer (legal), Bhasin Group.


Visiting card


Bhasin who later bought airline tickets from him to avail discount.

Bhasin, director of a real estate company, was planning to go to Jammu with his family. Hoping to get some good discount, the company called Kumar for the tickets to which he readily responded. "We had to book tickets for Jammu for June 5. We called Kumar on June 3, to provide tickets from New Delhi to Jammu for five persons and return tickets for two persons from Jammu to New Delhi," Mishra said.

As asked, Kumar came to the office at about 12 in the afternoon on June 3 along with e-tickets of Kingfisher Airlines and asked for payment of Rs. 30,000 for the same. The company offered him the payment through bank account. But the accused insisted that since he had to deposit the money immediately, he wanted to have the amount in cash. On his the Rs. 30,000 was paid to him on June 4 in cash.

Last minute check
"Luggage was packed and everyone was ready to fly. However to ensure that the flight was on time, we called up customer care. Also, the ticket issued by the agent looked somewhat different from other tickets. When we called up, we also wanted to confirm the genuineness of the ticket. However, the customer care executive said that the e-tickets were forged. I immediately tried to contact Amit Kumar on the mobile phone no. 9990880724 provided by him on his visiting card but there was no response. The number was switched off. We soon realised that the man who visited and handed over the tickets was a fake.

CCTV cameras installed at the reception of the company have recorded all his movements in the office. The footage (available with MiD DAY) shows, a bald, well-built man in his mid thirties entering the office and occupying the seat in the reception. Soon, he realised that there is camera installed just in front of him. Ignoring his face, he walked out talking on the phone. In the other video, knowing the position of the CCTV camera, the man stands with his back to it.

Cops clueless
A police complaint as well as a complaint to the Kingfisher officials was immediately registered. Now after a month, while the cops at Parliament Street station are struggling to get a clue in the case, the Kingfisher officials maintained that there is no such official working with Kingfisher. In an official statement sent by the Airlines, it stated: "An internal investigation was initiated as soon we received this complaint. Based on information provided to us during the preliminary investigation, there is no such employee working with us. We have also requested the guest for some more details mentioned in his complaint. We will of course cooperate and provide any details and information that the police may seek from us in the course of their investigation."

Unhealthy practice
In July 2009, MiD DAY carried a similar story where an AIIMS nurse was robbed off her shares worth lakhs of rupees showing fake visiting card and company id. Customer of a securities firm posed as an agent to dupe a fellow customer of Rs 5 lakh 82 thousand. Nursing patients at the largest Delhi hospital is her forte, but even money needs care and Rekha Kharyal - the nursing incharge at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) - was surely not adept at it. Her husband used to take care of her investments but after his death in September 2006, Rekha thought of changing her portfolio manager - Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL) - due to "poor" services. Enter Supradip Ghose, a self-proclaimed branch head of one of the franchisees of equities firm Religare Securities Limited. Ghose offered Kharyalu00a0 and instant solution to her problem. He told the head nurse that all her shares would be transferred to a de-mat account with Religare. He assured her good returns apart from quick and efficient service. Posing as the bonafide 'agent' of the Noida-based franchisee, Ghose showed Kharyal a fake ID and visiting card with Religare logo to make her believe that her money was in good hands.




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