Keralite held for duping Qatar Museums

Thrissur: Kodungallur police have arrested a Gulf returnee on Wednesday on charges of duping Qatar Museums of Rs. 5.50 crore. The accused is identified as Sunil Menon, 47, who now runs an online ornament business.

Kodungallur Station House Officer, Bijukumar said Sunil created a forged email id of Qatar royal family and mailed Qatar Museums, identifying himself as US-based Jerom Napoleon who has been asked to paint portraits of the king. He sent a mail to the museum asking them to deposit $7,60,000 (Rs 5.60) to a purported account of an American art firm as an advance for drawing a full scope portrait of the King," SHO said, who is probing the case.

The museum authorities transferred the money into the account mentioned in the mail.

Later a member of the royal family, who is in the governing body of the museum, became suspicious and the fraud was detected. Qatar investigation team tracked the mail and account with the help of the service provider and traced the beneficiary to Kerala. Police acted on a complaint by the museum authority.

Of the Rs. 5.50 crore, Sunil Menon had spent Rs. 1 crore, including Rs. 25 lakh on a vehicle. His account has been frozen.