IMPHAL, August 12: The non-local con-artist who had disappeared after allegedly recruiting many social workers from the state to lure students with the promise of educational loans for various professional and technical courses like engineering, MBA, hotel management and other professional courses under an NGO Nehru Peace Foundation, New Delhi, has been arrested by Kakching Police today.
According to reliable sources, the alleged cone artist Jose Thomas, 36 from Anakullu Kerala was arrested this afternoon around 2 pm from a private residence at Kakching Langmaidong, Thoubal district. However the full details of the arrest could not be ascertained till the filing of this report.
It may be recalled that Jose Thomas along with two of his associates, recruited about 50 social workers from the state who were advised to recruit students with the promise of educational loans for various professional and technical courses under the name of Nehru Peace Foundation (JPF).
The social workers were recruited after convincing them to pay a sum of rupees 3 lakhs, (25,000 thousand per month) in a year besides other benefits.
However, getting suspicious on the mode of recruitment, a team of the social welfare department along with the police met Jose Thomas on August 5 and 6. As Jose failed to produce any convincing document the social welfare department lodged a complaint against him. He only possessed a social worker identity card issued by the JPF.
The cone artist however managed to escape on August 7 morning from Classic hotel where he was staying after abandoning his two female associates.