Rajkot: A 72-year-old retired businessman and his wife were allegedly cheated of Rs 17.58 lakh by their tenant, who promised to arrange Dubai Golden Visas for the elderly couple and help them secure lucrative post-retirement investment returns, police said.Following a complaint filed by Chimanlal Patel, University police registered an FIR against the accused, Anuj Prakash alias Om Prakashlal, under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with cheating.According to the complaint, Patel had closed his automobile business in Surendranagar around 15 years ago. To generate rental income, he purchased a flat at Vasant Marvel on Vimalnagar Main Road and rented it out to Anuj through a local broker for Rs 21,000 per month under a formal rental agreement.Over time, Anuj gained the trust of Patel and his wife by claiming to be a Canadian citizen working remotely for a US-based bank. The accused and his wife, Reet, developed a close relationship with the elderly couple and even accompanied them on a trip to the Statue of Unity.Police said the accused exploited this trust by encouraging Patel to invest in a systematic investment plan (SIP) to secure a steady income after retirement. He also claimed that senior citizens could receive pensions in Dubai and promised to arrange Dubai Golden Visas for both Patel and his wife.Between March and April 2025, Anuj began collecting money from the couple under the pretext of visa processing fees. Patel told police that on March 15, 2025, the accused used his mobile phone to transfer Rs 1 lakh online from his bank account. Further transfers of Rs 78,847 and Rs 83,717 were made on April 17 and April 19, 2025, respectively.Patel also handed over Rs 6 lakh in cash, while another Rs 3.96 lakh was transferred from his wife’s bank account for her visa processing.The accused subsequently proposed a Rs 15 lakh SIP investment and expressed interest in purchasing Patel’s flat at Vimalnagar. He also offered to contribute Rs 10 lakh towards the investment if Patel paid the remaining Rs 5 lakh. Trusting the proposal, Patel borrowed Rs 5 lakh from his brother-in-law and handed the money to Anuj.On June 7, 2025, Anuj issued a cheque for Rs 5 lakh towards the proposed property purchase. However, the cheque was dishonoured when Patel deposited it. In July 2025, the accused vacated the rented flat with his belongings without informing the owner.After discovering that neither the promised visas nor the proposed investments had materialised, Patel approached the police when efforts to recover the money failed. The total alleged loss was Rs 17.58 lakh.University police have launched an investigation and are examining bank transactions, visa-related documents and the dishonoured cheque. They are also attempting to trace the accused’s current whereabouts.
