COIMBATORE: The district crime branch (DCB) of Coimbatore on Tuesday registered a case against a six-member gang, including a man who posed as a high-ranking central govt official, for defrauding multiple job seekers of nearly Rs 95.8 lakh by promising them lucrative positions in the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Police arrested the fake FCI official, identified as S Udayadeep, 43, of Bengaluru.According to police sources, Udayadeep masqueraded as an influential figure to gain the trust of unemployed youth. He frequently travelled in a white sport utility vehicle (SUV) which had a “Food Corporation of India” board.Udayadeep claimed to be a member of the FCI’s advisory committee and the chief executive officer of ‘Radhai Consultancy Private Limited’ based in Ganesapuram in Annur taluk.In 2019, Vignesh was introduced to Udayadeep through a relative. Udayadeep promised to secure him a position as a junior assistant in the FCI. He demanded more than Rs 12 lakh under the pretext of bribing higher officials for the job. Believing this, Vignesh transferred Rs 12.7 lakh in various transactions to him between November 2019 and December 2023. After collecting the money, Udayadeep stopped answering calls, switched off his mobile phone and went into hiding.Upon inquiry, Vignesh found that he was not the only victim. Udayadeep, alongside his wife Selvarani, Karuna, Thangavel and Selvi and Raja, systematically swindled several individuals. They cheated seven more people of Rs 95 lakh, promising jobs.Following this, Vignesh lodged a complaint with the Coimbatore district crime branch police, who registered a case on Friday and arrested Udayadeep on Tuesday. He was remanded in judicial custody. Efforts are on to arrest the other suspects.
