Cars with Russian flags, gunmen, fake website: What conmen used to cheat Chennai man of Rs 7.3 crore

CHENNAI: Luxury cars sporting Russian flags, armed security, and a fake website were all that a gang of conmen needed to cheat a city-based businessman of Rs 7.3 crore on the promise of getting him a Rs 2,000 crore deal to set up a Russian government project in Tamil Nadu. The central crime branch of the city police arrested nine, including a tahsildar deputed to Tasmac and a retired VAO.

The main accused, C Arunraj (38), floated Indo-Russian Business Associates (IRBA) and claimed that he was a delegate of the Indo-Russian Chamber of Commerce. He then sent emissaries to the businessman claiming that the Russian government has proposed to invest in India, for which he can fix projects.

Arunraj sent Viswanathan, a tahsildar, and retired VAO Dharman to lure the man with business interests in solar energy and jewellery certification. They held meetings at a star hotel in RA Puram.

"They had a convincing website in which they claimed to ‘create brotherhood bond between India and Russia’ and claimed to have influenced defence and maritime projects. Arunraj lives in a beach house on ECR, hired armed security guards, and roams around in a luxury car with the Russian flag on it to convince potential investors that he is the real deal," said a police officer.

Believing them, the businessman transferred Rs 7.3 crore in various tranches between April to October, but there was no sign of the project materialising. When he enquired, the man found that the gang was bogus so were the documents that they gave him.

Besides Viswanathan and Dharman, the police arrested Arunraj's close associate Madhankumar, Rupa, who was named as the director of IRBA, and her husband, Vigneshkumar, on November 12. Another accused Sasikumar was arrested on November 14. Later, Arunraj, who was absconding, and two of his associates, M Kumaran (43) and S Nagendran (39), were also arrested.