Man, son held for Rs 32L car fraud

KOLKATA: A 54-year-old trader and his son were arrested from Bidhannagar on Wednesday for duping a businessman of Rs 32 lakh by making a false promise of getting him a new car on rent under the Italian Consulate Kolkata office. Cops said the accused - Dilip Chowdhury and his son Rajdeep - had been absconding for a couple of months since the complainant Nirmalendu Dutta lodged an FIR.

Dutta, a resident of Murshidabad and a car service owner, got in touch with Chowdhury, who introduced himself as an agent associated with the transport business. "Chowdhury told Dutta he had sources in the Italian High Commission Kolkata office and could act as a facilitator. Chowdhury had promised to buy a new car and make arrangements to get it to the Italian Consulate office for daily use by offering good deals on rent," an officer said.

Dutta paid Chowdhury and his son Rs 32 lakh in two instalments. "But whenever I asked about the car, the duo said it would take time. Then they stopped taking calls, after which I approached police," Dutta said.

The duo has been remanded in police custody for five days.