India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has allegedly been duped of Rs 1.63 crore by conman Haryana cricketer Mrinank Singh, who is currently serving a jail term in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai for cheating another businessman.

Born in Hanumangarh, Haryana, on August 05, 1998, Mrinank Singh is a left-hand batter who has played for Haryana under-19. 

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The 23-year-old accused allegedly duped the Delhi Capitals skipper and his manager, Puneet Solanki in January last year through a bounced cheque. He cheated them under the pretext of starting a business of buying luxury items, including bags, jewellery, mobile phones and watches at heavily discounted rates and reselling them for a handsome price. Singh, however, failed to get the items and the deal was eventually canceled. 

“In January 2021, Mrinank told Pant and Solanki that he had started a business of buying and selling luxury watches, bags, jewelry, etc. He gave references to several cricketers to whom he claimed to have sold the goods. He falsely represented to Pant and his manager that he could procure luxury watches and other accessories for them at good discounts and very cheap prices,” a complaint filed by Pant stated. 

“Believing in the story of the accused, Pant handed over a luxury watch and few jewellery items in the month of Feb 2021 to the accused, that were purchased by him for Rs 65,70,731/- (Sixty Five Lakh Seventy Thousand Seven Hundred Thirty One only) for resale (sic),” the complaint added.

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They reached a mutual oral settlement of INR 1.63 crore for the sale of Pant’s luxury watches and jewelry before Singh cheated him.

Singh is currently in prison for cheating a local Mumbai businessman of Rs 6 lakh. He also reportedly duped a film director and several hotels with fake references.