01 March,2014 08:15 AM IST | | Sagar Rajput
Ghatkopar cops arrested Anaash Yadav, who cheated many cricketers by offering them a chance to play 'international level' cricket with his bogus club; more cases expected to come to light
The Ghatkopar police arrested a conman on Thursday who cheated several amateur cricketers in 2012-13 by baiting them with a chance to play at the âinternational level' with his bogus club, only if they shelled out a little money.
Anaash Yadav has been booked for cheating under Section 420 of IPC
According to the police officials, the accused, Anaash Jiyalal Yadav (22), has duped more than 20 people of Rs 18.5 lakh, after luring them with offers to play for an Indian cricket club in a tournament organised at Johannesburg in South Africa.
Cops said that several sportsmen in Ghatkopar, Nehru Nagar and Vinoba Bhave Nagar in Kurla were cheated, following which a case was registered against the accused in December last year.
Speaking to mid-day, senior inspector Rajaram Vanmane from Ghatkopar police station said, "These victims were duped between September 2012 and March 2013, but since the incidents took place in the jurisdiction of VB Nagar and Nehru Nagar police stations, along with Ghatkopar police station, they had initially submitted an application after which an FIR was registered on December 25."
"Yadav met these people on the cricket ground at Milind Nagar in Ghatkopar, where they used to practice. After gaining their trust, he lured them with the idea of performing at the highest level, and defrauded them,"
added Vanmane.
According to the cops, the accused has collected R60,000 to R80,000 from each of his target players. So far, the cops have received complaints from around 20 players, and more are expected to approach them in the coming days, they said.
Ploy to pay debt?
The accused claims that he refunded the money to two people, but they lodged a complaint against him anyway. The cops said that Yadav, who was initially a resident of Vaishali Nagar in Dahisar, mortgaged his house and shifted to Ghansoli, from where he was arrested.
Vanmane further said, "The family of the accused is in debt, so he resorted to this ploy. But he claims that he only got Rs 9 lakh from one of the complainants, Suraj Kagda. We are trying to recover the money he had taken from the victims." The accused has been booked under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and has been remanded in police custody till March 1.
