A police constable in Jharkhand is under investigation for allegedly defrauding multiple individuals of ₹39.60 lakh through a fake vehicle auction scheme, highlighting the risks of online scams.
The Giridih police have lodged an FIR against a constable for allegedly defrauding people of Rs 39.60 lakh by luring them with the promise of a cheap auction of seized four-wheeler vehicles, an officer said on Saturday.
The accused constable has been identified as Gautam Kumar Sharma and is currently posted at the Cyber Police Station in Jamtara district, the officer said.
"We have lodged an FIR against the accused on Friday after receiving a written complaint from Maharaj Prasad Yadav of Chapuwadih village," said Jitendra Singh, the officer in charge of Benganad police station.
He said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused defrauded a total of Rs 39,60,500 from as many as eight people, including the complainant.
"Apart from the aforementioned case, around 10 to 12 other people from the Muffasil police station area were also defrauded by him," the OC added.
The police have initiated a thorough investigation into the matter, he said.
The accused originally hails from Gadiya village in Deoghar district and has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police said.