In a significant fraud case, the Chennai police recently arrested Gurusampath Kumar and S. Lakshminarayanan for scamming a Trichy-based jeweler, M. Praveen, of Rs. 40 lakh. The two accused posed as an Income Tax officer and an auditor, using fake government credentials and VIP car passes to deceive their victim.
The victim, 38-year-old M. Praveen, who is the director of Mangal and Mangal Jewelry in Trichy, filed a complaint with the police after discovering he had been cheated. According to DT Next, the incident dates back to 2021 when Praveen visited the GST office for business-related matters. There, he was approached by Gurusampath Kumar, who introduced himself as an auditor.
Gurusampath then introduced Praveen to his accomplice, S. Lakshminarayanan, who claimed to be an Income Tax officer. The duo assured Praveen they could assist with GST issues and even arrange for gold from banks at discounted prices, leveraging their alleged insider access. Believing their story, Praveen discussed the proposal with his business partners.
In August 2021, the jeweler and his firm handed over Rs. 40 lakh in cash to the accused at their office in Chennai. However, after receiving the money, the two men failed to deliver the promised gold. Despite several follow-ups, they neither returned the money nor fulfilled their commitment. When Praveen attempted to contact one of the accused last month, he was threatened.
Following the threat, Praveen lodged a formal complaint with the Elephant Gate police station in Chennai. Acting on the complaint, the police launched an investigation and arrested 42-year-old Gurusampath Kumar from Anna Nagar, Chennai, and 46-year-old S. Lakshminarayanan from Puducherry. The police also seized their SUV, which displayed a fake āGā government sticker and counterfeit VIP car passes bearing the Tamil Nadu government emblem.
The investigation is ongoing as police continue to gather more details about the scam.