Kapurthala man held for selling oxygen, injections in black

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 2

The Kapurthala police arrested a 40-year-old man on Sunday who had been duping people by carrying out the black marketing of oxygen cylinders and vaccines. The man had also been duping the young in the name of promising them shooting and modeling contracts. Sachin Grover (40), originally a Kapurthala resident, but currently living at Shivaji Enclave, Delhi, was nabbed by the Kapurthala police in Kapurthala city. The police express apprehensions that he might be involved in even bigger crimes.

The man had been promising cylinders to people across different states at Rs 10,000 per cylinder and injections of Covid related drugs for Rs 4,500 per injection. The police said he was promising people to provide the vaccines or cylinders via social media or WhatsApp, asking them to deposit money to his account. He was also promising modeling, shooting, make-up or costume assignments to many and asking them to deposit money in his account. The police said previously also, a case was registered against him under Section 420 of the IPC, he was also declared a PO at the Kapurthala city police station after which he fled to Delhi. The 40-year-old has been booked under Sections 420 of the IPC and Section 66 D of the Information and Technology Act.

The police said the accused was using Jalandhar and Mohali-based music company’s functionary’s name to dupe many on the pretext of modeling and shoot assignments. The company’s functionary himself made a complaint to the police after the frauds came to light. Police sources expressed astonishment at the fraud the man has been able to get away with without even delivering the promised goods or services in return to those he duped.

SHO Kapurthala Raghbir Singh said: “He had been asking people to pay Rs15,000 (10,500 for an O2 cylinder and Rs 4,500 for an injection). People even from Maharashtra, Lucknow and UP were in his loop. We don’t know how many there might be. In addition, he has also duped many in the name of promising modeling, shoot etc. assignments by using the name of the music company. He moved to Delhi after he was declared a PO here. He is currently in custody and will be presented in the court tomorrow.”