Fake Reverend caught after swindling off money

A self-styled `Reverend` has been arrested by Dimapur police from Senapati in Manipur for alleged swindling off over Rs 18 lakh from various Churches in Nagaland.

Kohima: A self-styled `Reverend` has been
arrested by Dimapur police from Senapati in Manipur for
alleged swindling off over Rs 18 lakh from various Churches in
Nagaland.

The money amounting to Rs 18,04,500, collected from 41
Churches, was spent in buying a house and repaying of personal
debts by the 50-year-old self-styled Reverend.

According to police, the accused `Rev` Solomon Simte
Poumai floated a fake benevolent Ministry by the name "Mission
of Lost Souls" and lured unsuspected Churches claiming that
the Ministry was based in UK and was providing developmental
funds for various projects, provided they pay five per cent of
the total sum required.

As per his instructions, one Naga lady, appointed as the
state in-charge of the Ministry, naively collected the money
from 41 churches between March and July this year, police
said.

But when the lady, who collected the money on behalf of
the "Reverend," came to know that the Ministry was fake, she
lodged an FIR on July 29 with Dimapur police.

The women cell of Dimapur police finally arrested the fake
Reverend from Senapati on August 13 and a large number of
genuine and fake seals, documents were recovered from his
possession, police told newsmen today.

Interestingly, the accused had even drafted a demise note
of himself, which he was planning to advertise through the
local papers, police said.

PTI

Zee News App: Read latest news of India and world, bollywood news, business updates, cricket scores, etc. Download the Zee news app now to keep up with daily breaking news and live news event coverage.