Man posing as Land dept official dupes Balurghat Toto driver

BALURGHAT: A case of alleged fraud has surfaced in Balurghat, where a Toto driver was reportedly cheated of Rs 32,500 by a man who posed as an employee of the Land Reform department and assured to straighten up land records.

The victim, Ajay Sarkar, a resident of the Mangolpur area of Balurghat, has lodged a written complaint with Balurghat Police Station after realising that he had been deceived.

According to the complaint, the accused introduced himself as an employee of the land department and assured Sarkar that he could arrange for the required land records in exchange for money.

Trusting the man, Sarkar handed over Rs 32,500 along with the necessary documents. However, when the accused stopped answering phone calls after taking the money, Sarkar grew suspicious and visited the local land department office to inquire. There, he learned that although an employee with a similar name works in the department’s Balurghat office, that person had no connection with the transaction. Officials said the fraudster had cleverly used the name of a genuine employee to gain the victim’s trust.

Sarkar later traced the accused’s residence to the Baul area under Patiram. “I came to know the man while driving my Toto. After learning about my land-related issue, he offered to get the records done and claimed to be a land department staff member. I trusted him and gave him the documents and money. Later I realised I had been cheated,” Sarkar said.

Following the complaint, the police have started an investigation. An official from Balurghat Police Station said: “A case has been registered based on the written complaint of the Toto driver and an investigation into the matter has begun.”

Izam Ahmed, Additional District Magistrate (Land and Land Reforms) of South Dinajpur, has assured that the matter will be looked at seriously.