Woman helped Maria Susairaj to compensate duped Haj pilgrims

A 32-year-old woman colluded with actor Maria Susairaj in cheating several businessmen of crores because she wanted to compensate 1,000 people whom she duped of Rs4 crore on the pretext of sending them to the Haj pilgrimage, said the police.

While she was serving her two-year prison term in the Haj fraud case, Promita Banerjee met Maria in jail and became friends. Maria has served a three-year sentence for murder of TV executive Neeraj Grover. She was booked with nine others, including Banerjee, for cheating businessmen, contractors and others of crores of rupees, said police.

The accused used to lure people by promising business loans at rates lower than that of banks.

Maria is still wanted in the cheating case.

Pradeep Sharma, senior inspector of the Thane anti-extortion cell, said , “Banerjee said she had cheated around 1,000 people, promising that she will facilitate their Haj pilgrimage as she knew Haj Committee members. She was running a travel agency in Gujarat. Nearly 1,000 people gave her Rs4 crore.”

When people started asking for Haj dates, she wound up her travel agency in Gujarat.