Expert Publishing

Mumbai police have launched a massive manhunt of a suspect who specialises in cheating publishing houses across the country to the tune of crores under the pretext of buying school text books.The matter came to the fore after prime suspect Rohit Pisal cheated publisher and distributor S Chand and Company located near GPO in August last year. The trickster presented a demand draft 035902 of Rs 2 lakh, which was actually valued Rs 50 only.Distributer S Chand's assistant regional manager D Parab recalled how Pisal approached him from his cell phone 9273530015 claiming he was the owner of Gyan Book Depot located near Alibag bus depot. He wanted 1000 copies of Wren and Martin High School English Grammar books.Two days later Pisal came and collected the consignment from Chand's GPO office after handing over a Rs 2 lakh DD issued from Bank of India branch at Alibag, Raigad district to the peon. The fraud was detected when the demand draft was presented for clearance at the headquarters in Nariman Point.“I did not doubt. I though a DD was as good as money,'' Parab pointed out.M/s S Chand lodged a first information report with MRA Marg police station on September 9 last year. Over a dozen publishing and distributing houses have been duped to the tune of crores in the past one year and complaints have been registered in police stations across the country. Story By – J.Dey,Mid-Day