Cheating cases against two South Africans

CUDDALORE: Two instances of cheating to the tune of Rs. 50 lakh by South Africans in Cuddalore and Villupuram district have come to the notice of police.

The modus operandi of the foreigners is to develop friendship with Indian nationals on the Internet. After gaining their confidence, they would offer lucrative offers in foreign currencies that would turn out to be fake. Police said a South African, Armand Christian (38), struck friendship with Bhaskaran (42), a Reader in the Civil and Structural Engineering Department of Annamalai University at Chidambaram, on the net.

He made an offer to Mr. Bhasakaran: If he arranged Eurodollars equivalent of Rs 35 lakh, he would get it exchanged for US dollars to the tune of Rs. 10 crore. Impressed by the offer, Mr. Bhaskaran paid the airfare for Armand Christian and accommodated him in a hotel at Chidambaram.

After disposing of his assets, Mr. Bhaskaran bought the Eurodollars from a money changer at Puducherry. He handed over the Eurodollars to Armand Christian, who asked Mr. Bhaskaran to meet him the next morning.

But the next day, Mr. Bhaskaran learnt that Armand Christian had checked out at 3 a.m. He filed a police complaint.

In another instance, M.Sekar, a contractor at Idyanchavadi in Villupuram, lost Rs.15 lakh to Aden Michael, another South African, who befriended him on the Internet.

In a petition to Superintendent of Police A.Amalraj the contractor stated that Michael promised to double the money.

After enjoying the hospitality of the contractor for a couple of days, Michael took away the money.

Toll plaza at Vikkiravandi starts functioning

VILLUPURAM: A toll plaza at Vikkiravandi on the Tindivanam-Ulundurpet Expressway started functioning on Thursday, even as commuters and truck operators voiced concern over the high toll rates.

All vehicles, except certain exempted categories, crossing this point will have to pay the stipulated toll.

Quoting S.S. Bhaskaran, Project Director (Villupuram), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), a statement released from the Collectorate said that toll collection had been entrusted to a private concern, GMR.
Toll structure

The toll structure is as follows:

Car, van and jeep, single trip: Rs 50, return trip: Rs 75 (return journey should be made within 24 hours), monthly : Rs 1,509; light commercial vehicles and mini buses: Rs 88, Rs 132, Rs 2,641 respectively; lorries and buses: Rs 176, Rs 264, Rs 5,282; multi-axle vehicles: Rs 283, Rs 424, Rs 8,490.

School buses would have to pay a monthly toll of Rs 1,000 upon production of registration certificate and written applications from the headmaster concerned.

Vehicles in which the President, the Vice-President, Governors, Lieutenant Governors, the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Assembly Speaker, or State and Central Ministers were travelling, and those decorated with military honours such as Param Vir Chakra to Surya Chakra, ambulances, fire tenders, and police, government and defence vehicles were exempted.

MPs and MLAs would be allowed free passage. Several sections of commuters have pointed out that at certain other toll plazas, the rates were just one-third of what was being collected at Vikkiravandi.

For instance, the amount charged at one of the toll plazas elsewhere in Tamil Nadu is as follows: car, van, jeep – Rs 17, Rs 30 and Rs 1,300; light commercial vehicles – Rs 28, Rs 50 and Rs 1,750; buses – Rs 44, Rs 80 and Rs 2,800; trucks – Rs 66, Rs 120 and Rs 4,200 and for the multiple axle vehicles – Rs 132, Rs 240 and Rs 8,500.