Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 25: Police personnel from Bunder station here have arrested Raveendra Shetty, head of Western Associates in the city. Shetty has been accused of cheating a number of persons to the extent of several lacs of rupees by promising to bag employment for them overseas.

Western Associates functions from first floor of Kerala Samajam building on K S Rao Road here. It is said that Shetty fleeced Suman V from Kallige Mundaje in Bantwal taluk and several others.

Shetty had published an advertisement announcing employment opportunities in a ship named Lincoln Royal Cross. When Suman V visited his office and expressed interest in this job, Shetty reportedly told her that she would have to pay Rs 6,000 towards medical test and other expenses before the said employment can be bagged. After she remitted the money, he asked her to appear for an examination being conducted on June 10, 2017 at a private college. When Suman went there, he again reportedly collected Rs 15,356 from her. Thereafter, to get result, she went to the spot as advised by Raveendra Shetty on July 7, when he again asked her to remit Rs 38,000 in cash. After this money was paid, she was told to visit Bengaluru for further scrutiny. Suman says she went to a hotel at the advice of Shetty, where again he collected Rs 38,000 from her.

Thereafter, Shetty promised to send her visa details but failed to communicate with her thereafter. Even when Suman approached his office, he is said to have given evasive replies, claiming that he was yet to hear from the person connected the shipping company. Thereafter, Suman filed a complaint in Bunder police station.

It is said that during investigation, it was found that Raveendra cheated several youngsters with the lure of lucrative employment by using the name of a company named Lincoln which did not exist, and that he had cheated several students by releasing fake advertisements. Bunder police are interrogating the accused to get further details from him.