Mumbai: Man arrested for trying to cheat woman by promising role in film

A man has been arrested for allegedly trying to dupe a woman by claiming that he could get her a role in a film being produced by Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar`s production company, police said on Wednesday.

The Juhu police have arrested a man for allegedly attempting to defraud a 28-year-old film industry aspirant by promising a role in a major Bollywood film produced by Akshay Kumar`s Cape of Good Films, focusing on women empowerment. The victim verified the details of the accused with Akshay Kumar`s team before making any payments and discovered that he was a fraud. The victim identified as Pooja Anandani is CEO of a company named ResuMade, known for content creation and resume writing, set a trap with the Juhu police and caught the man red-handed before he could deceive her.

According to Anandani, she received a call from the accused based on her Instagram profile and he introduced himself as Rohan Mehra claiming to be associated with Akshay Kumar’s production house. ”I run my own company but I am also very much interested in becoming an actor in Bollywood, the man called me with an unknown number claiming to be from Akshay Kumar’s production house and offered me a role in a film based on women empowerment, he claimed that celebs like Akshay Kumar, Sonu Sood, Bobby Deol and Radhika Apte are going to be a part of the film and he offered me a role where I have seduce a villain in the film,” Anandani said speaking with mid-day.

The woman did not fall for the story presented by the accused. She verified the details with Akshay Kumar`s team by contacting his manager and discovered that the man was a fraud.

“I managed to get in touch with Akshay Kumar`s manager, who assisted me greatly in the case. I learned that the person who approached me for a film role with Akshay Kumar and other celebrities was a fraud, and he was also demanding Rs 6 lakh from me. After gathering all the information about the accused, I informed the police and arranged to meet him at the JW Marriott hotel along with my father. He arrived prepared with a film presentation, but the undercover police officers, acting on my complaint, arrested him red-handed on Tuesday,” she added.

The police discovered a script bearing Akshay Kumar`s signature and a PowerPoint presentation for a film that the man intended to use to deceive the woman. However, she did not fall for the ruse and instead set a trap to ensure his arrest. “Coming from a middle-class family, Rs 6 lakh is a significant amount for me, and I wanted to verify everything before making any payment. The moment I realized he was a fraud, I ensured he faced the consequences of the law. I suspect he may have cheated others similarly, as his Google page boasts more than twenty-five blockbuster films attributed to him, including movies like Baby, Holiday, Gabbar, and OMG2—all films of Akshay Kumar,” she narrated. 

The Juhu police have arrested Mehra under sections 419 and 420 of the IPC and discovered that his real name is Princekumar Rajan Sinha. “We suspect that many more victims will come forward against the accused for duping them using similar methods,” said Raj Tilak Roushan, DCP of Zone 09.