A 43-year-old man who cheated several people of large sums of money by posing as a lawyer and a judge was arrested by the Madhavaram police on Friday. Police said he duped the victims by making false promises related to property transactions and legal services.Police said Murali Mohan alias Mohammed Meeran of Shivasakthi Nagar in Madhavaram was arrested following a complaint filed by Ajmal, 23, a car wash shop owner from Palaniappan Nagar. Police said Ajmal came into contact with Mohammed Meeran a few months ago, during which the latter introduced himself as a lawyer.
According to the complaint, when Ajmal planned to sell his house, Mohammed Meeran assured him that he would arrange the sale for ₹1.5 crore and claimed that some money was required to prepare legal documents. Trusting his assurance, Ajmal paid about ₹30 lakh to him in instalments.However, when the promised transaction did not materialise and Mohammed Meeran continued to evade returning the money, Ajmal lodged a complaint with the Madhavaram police in Oct last year.During probe, police found that Mohammed Meeran did not study law and falsely projected himself as a lawyer while engaging in illegal arbitration and financial dealings. Investigators also discovered that he cheated several others by claiming to be both a lawyer and a judge.In one such instance, police said he cheated one Raja Mohammed of ₹28 lakh by promising to procure a plot of land at a low price. Police seized documents and a fake lawyer’s identity card from him.
