A man has been booked for allegedly duping around 40 people to the tune of Rs 60 lakh by promising to get them jobs at government medical colleges in Maharashtra, police said today. A Thane city resident, who is one of the victims, approached the police last evening and said in January 2010 he had met the accused (age not known), who claimed to be working on a senior position in a government medical college in Kolhapur.

The complainant, who runs a security agency, expressed a desire to expand his business and Bhosle offered to help, claiming that he was an influential person and had contacts with prominent personalities, Thane Police PRO Sukhada Narkar said. Lured by the offer, the complainant and some of his relatives and friends allegedly paid Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh each to the accused to get work opportunities at medical colleges in Kolhapur, Pune, Nagpur and other places, she said. The complainant alleged that the accused duped nearly 40 people this way to the tune of Rs 60 lakh, Narkar said.