AHMEDABAD - In an unfortunate turn of events, an aspiring beauty queen from Ahmedabad was swindled out of Rs 1.80 lakhs by a fraudster promising her a spot in the "Miss Princess of the World" competition.
The victim, a finance professional residing in a rented house in Makarba area, had dreams of winning the international beauty contest. However, her dreams were shattered when she discovered that the event she had been preparing for, and had spent significant money on, did not exist.
According to the victim's statement, she had earlier participated in the Miss India contest through a Ghaziabad-based company, where she met Ishank Chhabra. Chhabra later contacted her, informing her of the "Miss Princess of the World" competition slated to take place in Spain in November 2022. Eager to participate, she transferred a total of Rs 1.80 lakhs to Chhabra, including Rs 78,000 in cash during a meeting in a Delhi hotel.
However, her excitement soon turned to suspicion as the competition dates kept shifting. When she called the organizers of the supposed online event, she was informed that no such competition was scheduled. It was hinted at a possible event in October 2023, but nothing had been confirmed.
Upon discovering the scam, the victim demanded a refund from Chhabra. However, he only returned Rs 15,000 and failed to refund the remaining Rs 1.77 lakhs despite repeated requests.
The victim has since lodged a complaint against Ishank Chhabra at the Sarkhej police station. Investigations into the matter are ongoing as authorities look to bring the fraudster to justice.
