Restaurateur accuses travel firm owner of cheating

AHMEDABAD: Owner of a restaurant in Thaltej, Amit Barot, on Tuesday lodged a complaint of cheating against Dhruti Pooch, the owner of Isabella tours and travels at Sola police station. He has accused Pooch of refusing to return Rs 22 lakh.
Pooch already has about a dozen complaints pending against her. She was arrested by city police for allegedly duping her customers on the pretext of getting them foreign visas.
Barot has alleged that Pooch had convinced him to invest Rs 40 lakh in her business by promising him lucrative returns.According to the complaint lodged by Barot, Pooch returned Rs 18 lakh by cheque but did not gave him back the remaining Rs 22 lakh. “Barot had also submitted an application of complaint with the crime branch in which he has alleged that Pooch had threatened to lodge a rape complaint against him if he insisted on repayment,” said a police source. The restaurateur had got in touch with Pooch while seeking US visas for himself and 11 other family members.
Police officials said Pooch has been arrested earlier. “We have been approached by more than 35 complainants who were allegedly cheated by her,” said a police official.