Physiotherapist duped of Rs 47L by kin with fake railway job offer

Surat: A 23-year-old physiotherapist from Surat was duped of Rs 47.36 lakh allegedly by his relative, who promised him a railway job under a "special quota" and later handed over a fake appointment letter. The Amroli police in Surat have registered a case of cheating and launched an investigation.According to the complaint, the victim, Viraj Chotaliya, a physiotherapist who runs a clinic in Surat, was approached by his relative Vivek Chauhan, who claimed to be working as a loco pilot in the railways. In Feb last year, Chauhan allegedly offered to secure him a doctor's job in the railways through a special quota, claiming he could recommend one candidate.
Chauhan reportedly told Chotaliya that railway officials would need to be bribed to process the appointment and initially demanded Rs 7 lakh. Trusting him, Chotaliya paid Rs 7 lakh along with Rs 40,000 for form-filling charges.A few days later, Chauhan allegedly informed him that another candidate had offered Rs 25 lakh for the same post. He then pressured Chotaliya to increase the amount. Eventually, the deal was finalised at Rs 47.36 lakh, which Chotaliya paid in installments.When Chotaliya later sought an official appointment letter, Chauhan provided one. However, upon verification, the letter was found to be fake. After repeated demands for a refund went unanswered, Chotaliya approached the police and filed a complaint.