Lawyer falls for cheat’s governorship offer

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: How brazen can cheats be is once again proved as a high-profile fraud held by the Coimbatore police has disclosed that he had duped a Kerala lawyer of lakhs of rupees.

And his offer to the educated lawyer was to lobby for him for the post of governorship in any Indian state!

Shanmughadurai, 49, held after he duped the cops by posing as a DIG of police, had confessed to a series of cheating incidents over the years.

The victims included the Kerala lawyer from whom he was suspected to have swindled several lakhs of rupees offering to lobby for a governor’s post in any of the states.

"In a raid conducted at his house at Saligramam in Chennai, about Rs 25 lakh in cash, four cheques amounting to nearly Rs 100 crore and many documents were recovered. On quizzing, he revealed that the cheques were from a Kerala lawyer whom he had offered a governor’s post," said Saravanampatti police station inspector T. Jothi.

On Monday, the Coimbatore police will seek custody of Shanmughadurai, who is now in judicial remand, and hopes to get more details from him.

Shanmughadurai, along with one Meenakumari, reportedly duped the Coimbatore police earlier this week by posing as a DIG from Delhi.

The Coimbatore police even provided a vehicle and a policeman to accompany him for shopping.

The police became suspicious as the 'DIG' refused to pay bills at some textile shops after shopping.

After confirming with the Delhi Police that he was not a DIG of the capital’s force, the couple was nabbed and their house raided.