MASTER SWINDLER

In 2022, investigators turned the spotlight on India's most notorious conman who duped several top people

- By Kaushik Deka

He is perhaps the most noH torious conman of independent India whose alleged mass skullduggery came to light this year.

Sukash Chandrashekar has fooled nearly a thousand people in the last 15 years to swindle, at least, Rs 500 crore. This is based on more than 30 cases lodged in six states-Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi. His biggest heist came between June 2020 and May 2021 when, sitting inside Delhi's Rohini jail, he conned the wife of a jailed industrialist, making her pay up over Rs 200 crore. The modus operandi was his tried-and-tested trick-impersonate, over the phone, a senior government official and ask for money in return for a favour.