Few instances of cheating!!

Few instances of cheating!!

MANOJ KUMAR DAS

Case:1

Scene-1. A few months back I got a call from Romenda of Indian Railways. An Assamese family lost their belongings; they needed some money to go home. ‘Most probably it’s a case of emotional distress selling; in any case can I talk to them?’ My talk with the head of the family was not very convincing. Next day Dr. M K Singh, IAS called me- “Das dangoria, bor achorit kotha eta hol. Assamese family etar bor digdari hoise. Apuni alop chabo neki?” I was curious now! If it’s a genuine case, the case needs to be addressed appropriately. Dr. Singh dispatched the family to Srimanta Sankaradeva Bhawan in his car.

 

Mr Bijoy’s story was that they are first timers in Delhi came to give admission to their daughter in a travel trade institute and just after disembarking from train, they lost all the belongings to a thug, who disappeared in the streets of Paharganj. Fair enough! It does happen.

 

On querying, the man was not convincing enough. He claimed to have worked in Nagaon  Co-operative Jute Mills, and I knew a Director there. The Director couldn’t recall any employee by that name of Bijoy Das. It happens, said Bijoy ‘ami xoru xoora chakori kora mahun, upor wala keitai kot chini pabo’. He is pissed off with our suspicious queries and can take no more! Now with daughter and wife, he just longs to go back home and never come back to this city of cheats.  Give him the benefit of doubt please, it can happen to you too and a distressed person can be incoherent.

 

We good Samaritans pooled about Rs. 2000/-, good enough for second class rail fare plus food during the journey to Assam. Our Luitporia boys led by Asif and Rajib dropped them at the station and bought them some extra tit-bits for the arduous journey. It was a great feeling helping a ‘kharkhowa’ in distress. God will help those who help humanity.

 

Scene-2. About Twenty days after the above generous act, I was going to Connaught Place. I saw the same family crossing the rd light at Hailey Road  in a tearing hurry. I told my driver to stop the car and rushed towards the family. Bijoy Das got a rude shock to see me. He was gasping for words. I casually asked them; what’s going on and why they came back. Unluckily for him, suddenly someone came and asked Bijoy ‘arre dada kob aya’. I quipped to that man ‘how long you know this family?’ and narrated the story. On that the man said, this man comes to his hotel at Paharganj quite often and is an old hand and does some small time trading.

 

I felt cheated and was raged in anger. Took him aside and gave him a big slap. He had about Rs. 700/- in pocket and I took Rs. 600/- refund. A lesson learnt first hand.

 

Case 2:

A family returning after medical tourism in the city. Their tickets are not confirmed, but not to worry. The local MP from Assam has sent in a request to the Railways Minister. When the reservation charts were finally hung, the family did not find their names. Summer rush, too many MPs must have requested for out of turn quota. The family’s despair was written all over their faces. They checked out of hotel. Money reserve is also plummeting. Have to leave this costly city anyhow.

 

Suddenly a well clad gentleman approached the family “aponalookok bor chinta kori thoka dekhishoo”. Moi rail ministry-t kam karoo. Montrir relation ejonok trainot see-off koriboloi ahisiloo. The family found a god send angel, that too an Assamese. What luck! The family gave him the tickets for last minute confirmation to that guy. It was a long wait. The train has left long back!

 

The guy coolly cancelled the tickets and pocketed the money.

 

Case 3:

I was coming out of Pragati Maidan. A labourer stopped me. “Sir, you look dependable and honest, so I would like to share a secret with you. I am the sardar of a labourer gang working inside Purana Quila. We got a huge gold necklace of some old king.” It has lot of gold beads. Take this bead and get it tested. He took out a small gold bead and gave me. I gave him my card and told to call me.

 

Two days later he came with his wife and two small kids. My wife was not home. The man took out a huge gorgeous gold necklace. I was really regal. He told me to wear around my neck. Oh! It was some heavy. I felt like Maharajah Vikramaditya. Who knows, it could have been his.

 

The man said, since he is a poor labourer, doesn’t know its worth. And some criminal gang comes to know of it, they will murder them. Since I looked so innocent and gentleman, there it is. I made a quick calculation. Just the gold value will be about Rs. 25 lakhs, and add the antiquity tag, the treasure was mind boggling. If I can buy it for say just 2-3 lakhs, it will be enough wealth for this life.

 

Somehow good sense prevailed. I told him, bhaiya, I need some time to arrange the money and also can you leave 2-3 pieces of gold with me. I’ll have to give it to my financiers. Meet me next week. I’ll give you good money for this treasure. And be careful. Keep it in some hiding.

 

Next day I took a piece to a jeweler. He quickly told me-‘sir aap jeise log bhi yei sab thog ke chakkar mein keise parte hain. Aap ko jo piece diya hai ye sona hai lekin baki sab pital hoga.’

 

My dream of a quick rich scheme came crushing down.

 

Case 4:

A renowned lady mountaineer from Assam came to Barunda’s (MP) place. A Manipuri guy, called Nilamoni Singh accompanied her. Hey Jonam, I keep telling Singh that he should give chance to our boys also. This time you must take chance in the next batch and go to Australia.

Mr. Singh runs an NGO, that trains people in mushroom growing. He is partner with an Australian farm, which in turn provides funds under commonwealth capacity building fund. If one can go for a month’s training; the savings from stipend could be about Rs. 1 lakh. Not bad! A foreign trip and savings too. I am game ‘baidew’. ‘apuni singhok alop seriously koi dibo dei moor naam tu recommend koriboloi.’ ‘Mr. Singh-can I also see some official correspondences with the partnering institute.’ He has shown me a fax message clearly mentioning all the terms and conditions, facilities to be given to the trainees, programme etc. I felt so lucky to have got this chance!

 

Two days later, Mr. Singh came to our house with his wife. ‘You are very lucky. The host institute has accepted your nomination. Here is the official letter. Now give me your passport and Rs. 3000/- for visa processing.’ A small price for such a great offer. Two days later I found my passport in the letterbox and no trace of Mr. Singh. Few more known persons also enquired about Mr.Singh. I confrontronted ‘baidew’- ‘manuh jon imman bodmash buli jonai nashiloo’.

 

Case 5:

A huge advertisement appeared in ‘the Employment News’ for 1000 posts of teachers in a chain of NGO run schools. Candidates must enclose a DD of Rs. 500/-. Lakhs of candidates have applied thinking, in a govt. run newspaper; things that appear must be genuine. No one got any calling letter and the fraudsters went home with a few crores of cool booty.