VADODARA: Cops at Pavi Jetpur
police station were left twiddling their thumbs after a man arrested for cheating stealthily walked away by taking advantage of chaos caused by a group of people had gathered to identify him.
Arvind Rathwa, who was arrested on Sunday night, was brought to the room of police station officer near the entrance of the police station after several people flocked there to check if he was the same man who had cheated them. Seeing the crowd, assistant sub-inspector Amarsinh Muljibhai, and head constable Mahendrasinh Gulabsinh started talking to them. Taking advantage of the situation, Rathwa silently walked out of the police station and fled.
By the time policemen realized that Rathwa had fled, he was long gone away. Police searched for him in the town and surrounding villages, but in vain.
Rathwa was arrested after Prakash Pandya, a grains trader living in Pavi Jetpur, lodged a complaint against him. Pandya told police that Rathwa, his wife Rekha and another woman Narmada Parmar had cheated of of Rs 53,900.
The Rathwa couple ran a local marriage bureau and had introduced Parmar to Pandya in April this year. After Pandya showed readiness to marry Parmar, he bought her clothes and mobile phone. Later, it was decided to organize their marriage ceremonies at a temple in Pavi Jetpur on April 25 for which Rathwa took Rs 36,000 from Pandya. However, none of them turned up at the temple on that day and Pandya had to return home with his family. Police said that Pandya even tried to call him, but Rathwa had switched off his phone.
Pandya then searched for the trio in different districts of the state only hoping to get his money back. During his search, Pandya learnt that Rathwa had conned many eligible bachelors in Mehsana, Morbi and Pavi Jetpur with the help of local women. Pandya then gave an application against Rathwa, his wife and Parmar on the basis of which a case was registered against them.
Later, another case was registered against Rathwa and the two cops who brought had him to PSO’s room were also booked for negligence.
