Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A 60-year-old homemaker was allegedly cheated and robbed of her valuables by an unidentified man who lured her with a false claim that her son had won a lottery, the police said on Monday.
The incident occurred on Sunday between Baliram Patil School and Savarkar Chowk near Maple Hospital, and later extended to the N-8 Vishwanath Swami Nagar area, said inspector Atul Yerme of the Cidco police station, citing the complaint.
The woman, Pratibha Bhosale, a resident of Raigad Nagar in Cidco N-9, told the police that she was out for a walk when the accused approached her on a motorcycle. The vehicle number could not be noted. The man allegedly engaged her in conversation and claimed that her son had won a lottery prize. Gaining her trust, he persuaded her to accompany him on the pretext of completing formalities related to the purported winnings. She followed him from the Baliram Patil School area near Maple Hospital to N-8.
The police said the accused used deceit to manipulate the woman and later fled with her valuables. Details regarding the nature and value of the stolen items were not immediately available. Based on the complaint, a case has been registered under sections 318(4) and 316(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and related offences. The investigation has been handed over to a police sub-inspector, and efforts are underway to trace the accused.
The police have cautioned citizens, especially senior citizens, to be wary of strangers promising sudden financial gains or lottery winnings, warning that such claims are commonly used to commit fraud and theft.
