Andheri resident duped of ₹2.48 cr by director of a dairy products firm

MUMBAI: The Amboli police have registered a complaint against the director of a dairy from Baramati in Pune district for allegedly cheating a 33-year-old dairy businessman from Andheri of ₹2.48 crore. The case was filed on Friday following a complaint lodged by the victim with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police in October 2024. The case was transferred to the Amboli police on Wednesday.

According to the FIR, the complainant is the director of a dairy based in Mumbai. The company’s chief financial officer met the accused in 2023 during a work-related trip to Pune. The accused introduced himself as the director of a dairy located in Baramati and claimed that his company had a large-scale business and that he offers milk and milk products at a cheaper rate than the market price.

A deal was struck between the two. Initially, the supplies were regular, building trust between the companies. In March 2024, the accused proposed that his firm would sell milk under the brand name of the complainant’s dairy and demanded a commission of 30 paise per litre with rupees one crore as advance. A formal agreement was signed to this effect, said a police officer.

In May 2024, the accused purchased 75 tonnes of butter but failed to pay the whole amount. In another deal related to milk powder purchases, the complainant paid an advance amount but never received the milk powder. Realizing that they had been cheated, the complainant filed a complaint with the EOW.

“Based on the statement of the complainant, we have registered an FIR under sections 316(2) (criminal breach of trust) and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the accused,” said a police officer from Amboli police station.