Mumbai’s Juhu Police Station has apprehended an individual for attempting to deceive Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar’s production house under the guise of offering employment, in association with a scheme to defraud social media influencer Pooja Anandani.
The arrested suspect, identified as Prince Kumar Sinha, 29, allegedly made fraudulent overtures to Ms Anandani, but thanks to her quick thinking, she avoided becoming a victim.
Detailing the sequence of events, a Juhu Police officer revealed that the accused, initially contacted Ms Anandani, introducing himself as ‘Rohan Mehra,’ purportedly an employee of Akshay Kumar’s production house, Cape of Good Films.
Despite not being associated with the production house, the accused enticed Ms Anandani with a job opportunity, claiming to be involved in the production of a film based on the Nirbhaya case, and invited her to meet in Juhu.
Their first encounter took place at a local coffee shop, where he allegedly requested Ms Anandani to pose for photographs taken by a photographer claiming affiliation with Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan.
Subsequently, they arranged to meet again at the JW Marriott hotel in Juhu, where Ms Anandani had already informed the police of the situation.
Promptly, officers intervened and arrested Prince at the prearranged meeting point.
According to the information obtained from Juhu Police, on April 3, the accused, using his mobile phone, contacted Ms Anandani under the alias Rohan Mehra, falsely representing himself as a Cape of Good Films employee.
However, investigations revealed that no such individual worked at the production house. Ms Anandani, upon discovering the deception, promptly notified the production house, confirming the fraudster’s deceit.
In response, Ms Anandani lodged a complaint with the nearby Juhu Police Station, leading to the registration of a case against the perpetrator and his subsequent arrest.
The incident underscores the prevalence of fraudulent activities in the entertainment industry and highlights the importance of vigilance against such schemes.
The Juhu Police commend Ms Anandani’s astuteness, which thwarted a potential scam. Investigations into the matter are ongoing, with authorities urging individuals to exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of offers before committing to them.
