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Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai, reimbursing Pushpavathi, a homemaker residing in Beeramangala, South Kasaba, Sullia taluk, who was cheated by a fraudster using his name in Sullia
Mangaluru: A woman whose husband is undergoing treatment was allegedly cheated of Rs 22,500 by a fraudster impersonating a staff member of Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai. In a act of humanity, the MLA reimbursed the woman, who was cheated by a fraudster using his name, in Sullia.The MLA’s office said that the victim is a homemaker from Beeramangala, South Kasaba, Sullia taluk, Pushpavathi, wife of Ganesh, who was suffering from severe illness. Social media posts describing their plight had prompted generous donors to send financial aid directly to Pushpavathi’s bank account. Following this, a total of Rs 22,500 has been credited to her bank account.On the evening of July 27, Pushpavathi received a call from an unknown person claiming that Puttur MLA Ashok Rai had sanctioned Rs 3 lakh financial assistance for her. However, the caller told her that she needed to pay Rs 25,000 ‘tax amount’ to process the funds. Believing the caller, Pushpavathi transferred her entire balance of Rs 22,500 through UPI transaction. Following the transfer, the caller switched off the phone. Realising that she had been scammed, Pushpavathi filed a complaint at Sullia Town police station.Upon learning that a woman was cheated using his name, MLA Rai was deeply saddened. He said, “Scamming money meant for a patient’s treatment by lying like this, is a deed that even God will not forgive. Therefore, I called the concerned people to understand the details. The woman sent the money because the scammers used my name to cheat her. Hence, I promised the women to reimburse the amount she lost. I would transfer a total of Rs 30,000 to her account—reimbursing the Rs 22,500 she lost, along with an additional Rs 7,500 in financial assistance.”As promised, the MLA handed the cheque to the woman on Monday.
