Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Jan 28: A youth, who had visited several villages in the taluk, conducted door-to-door visits, collected advance payments by promising to supply inverters on easy installments basis, and disappeared after completing his task. He was not to be found anywhere after vanishing with the money so collected.

A person who introduced himself to be Kartik, a representative of a Bengaluru-based company involved with manufacture of inverters, moved around the taluk in a motor bike. He flashed printed receipt books standing in the name of a Bengaluru-based company and visited villages like Laila, Nada, Savanalu, and Ujire apart from Beltangady. With his fine salesmanship skills, he succeeded in convincing people that his company will provide an inverter, two fans, and four bulbs for Rs 20,000. Moreover, his company offered a geyser free of cost to people purchasing these things, he said. Those desirous of accepting this offer had to make advance payment of Rs 6,000 and balance in monthly installments of Rs 500 each, he said.

It is said that over 50 persons from around the taluk including Richard Miranda and Bautik Miranda from Nada village and Gracian from Laila fell prey to the tactics of the self-styled salesman, and made advance payments as above. The date by which the items were promised to be delivered has come and gone, and telephone number given by the salesman has been switched off. The receipts issued towards the payments made by these innocent people do not bear any other telephone numbers than the cell phone number mentioned above.

The policemen, during their investigation, found that the cell phone number provided therein stands in the name of one Karibasappa from Shikaripur. Investigation is in progress.