Woman gets Rs 1.37 lakh shock in electricity
bill fraud
Mumbai, Oct 2: A 37-year-old woman from Mumbai was duped of Rs 1.37 lakh by a cyber fraudster in the guise of helping her pay electricity bill online, police said on Monday. The incident came to light when the woman, who stays with her mother, a senior citizen, in suburban Andheri (West), approached the Versova police station with a complaint, said an official. According to the complainant, her mother received a message on her mobile phone Friday evening saying “electricity to her home will be disconnected at 9.30 pm if the bill was not paid”. After the message, the 62-year-old mother of the complainant also received a call from a fraudster who told her about snapping power supply to her home over non-payment of bill. The cyber criminal then obtained the mobile phone number of the complainant and made her a video call, offering to help her pay the electricity bill online, said the official. Based on the complaint, an FIR has been registered against and further probe was underway. (PTI)
Priest removed as Vicar after joining BJP
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 2: Hours after a Catholic priest in Kerala took membership of BJP on Monday, he was temporarily moved out as Vicar of the St Thomas Catholic Church in Idukki district, which he led. The ‘marching orders’ were given by the Idukki diocese of Catholic Church to which he is attached. BJP sources claimed that this is the first time a Catholic priest in Kerala has joined the saffron party. Earlier in the day, the Kerala unit of the BJP got a prize catch after the 62-year-old Catholic priest, Rev Kuriakose Mattem, joined the saffron party. Speaking to IANS, BJP’s Idukki district President K.S. Aji said the party is presently running a membership campaign.“I don’t agree to the common belief that the BJP is not the party for Christians,” said Mattem. In Kerala, Christians constitute about 18 per cent of the state’s 3.30 crore population. (IANS)