Kerala man held for defrauding woman and daughter of ₹88.2 lakh by promising stake in granite quarry

Irinjalakuda (Kerala): A man has been arrested for duping ₹88.2 lakh by promising the victims a stake in a granite quarry. The accused, Watson (42) of Arikkadan House, Vellanchoor, Alur, was arrested by Thrissur Rural District Crime Branch led by DySP M G Ullas Kumar.

The victims, a woman and her daughter from Alur running a crusher business in Bengaluru, were convinced by Watson and his accomplices that they could get a stake in a quarry in Bengaluru. From April 10 to November 1, 2023, the accused siphoned ₹88.2 lakh through bank accounts.

Watson, who assisted in the victims’ crusher business in Bengaluru, persuaded them to transfer ₹57.5 lakh to quarry owner Gajendra Babu (43) and ₹30.7 lakh to his own bank account. However, due to disputes with the partners, the quarry was shut, and Watson neither shared the stake nor returned the money.

Of the ₹88.2 lakh meant for Gajendra Babu, Watson colluded with him to divert ₹28 lakh into his own bank account without informing the victims. Investigation also revealed that Watson became a partner in the popular stone crusher establishment at Chickbellapur in Bengaluru, concealing the embezzlement.

Watson previously served as general manager at Sheikh Hamad’s company in Bahrain, where he was jailed for four months for financial fraud before repaying the amount and being released. He is also accused in a separate case for obstructing and threatening the complainant using abusive language.