The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court in Panvel has acquitted Deepak Kumar Sinha (48), who was accused of duping 22 individuals on the pretext of securing them jobs in the Indian Railways, after the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt. The court, in its order, observed that the two essential elements required to establish charges of cheating — deception and inducement — were not proven. As a result, the accused was acquitted for lack of evidence.
The prosecution’s case dates back to 2015, when Malappa Karappa Metti, a resident of Nerul, allegedly fell victim to Sinha’s fraudulent promises of a job in the Indian Railways. Sinha reportedly lured Metti into believing he could secure a position as a ticket collector (TC) in exchange for money. The scam came to light when Metti filed a complaint at Kharghar police station, realizing that the appointment letters and medical documents provided by Sinha were fake.
The incident dates back to January 2015, when Metti, originally from Karnataka but residing in Navi Mumbai, was preparing for a railway examination while attending classes at Maharashtra Career Academy in Thane. On a train ride from Thane to Nerul, he met Sinha, who claimed to be a railway employee and assured him of securing a job if paid the required amount.
Initially, Sinha allegedly demanded ₹7 lakh to secure a job as a ticket collector. Trusting him, Metti, along with his elder brother, met Sinha at a café in Kharghar and handed over ₹50,000 in cash, along with personal documents, including his Aadhaar card, PAN card, and educational certificates.
A few days later, Sinha took Metti to Kalyan Railway Hospital for a medical check-up, where another individual, identified as Tufel Ahmed Khan (who is currently absconding), assisted in conducting a urine test. Sinha even provided a fake medical examination certificate to further convince Metti of the job’s legitimacy.
Over the next few months, Sinha allegedly demanded more money. Metti and his brother paid ₹2.5 lakh for an appointment letter and later ₹3 lakh for a joining letter. Sinha provided a photocopy of an appointment letter, allegedly issued by the Western Railway Division, which further gained Metti’s trust.
According to the informant, he was later asked to report to Ballia Station in Uttar Pradesh between May 2, 2016, and May 16, 2016, as per the appointment letter. However, when Metti tried to contact Sinha for further instructions, Sinha became untraceable.
After realizing he had been duped, Metti repeatedly demanded a refund. In response, Sinha issued two cheques of ₹1 lakh each from his IDBI Bank account, but both cheques bounced due to insufficient funds.
The investigation revealed that Sinha and Khan had allegedly duped several individuals from Metti’s village in Karnataka, promising them various railway jobs, including station master, gangnam, and sailor. The victims reportedly paid a total of ₹96.8 lakh through cash and cheques.
Advocate Mangesh Aarote, representing Sinha, said, “The prosecution completely failed to prove the case. The investigation was so sloppy that they did not even collect relevant documents from the victims to establish that they had sold or mortgaged their properties to arrange the funds they handed over to the accused. Additionally, the prosecution failed to examine all the victims, further weakening their case. The failure to apprehend the other accused also created several loopholes. As a result, my client has been acquitted of all cheating charges.”
The prosecution’s inability to present strong evidence and their failure to arrest the co-accused, Tufel Ahmed Khan, were key reasons behind the court’s decision to acquit Sinha.
