In Mumbai: Mechanical engineer arrested for duping man of ₹20L in Powai

Powai police have arrested a 23-year-old mechanical engineer who, along with two accomplices, duped a Kandivali-based businessman of Rs20 lakh on the pretext of a loan.

According to the police officials, the businessman, Guru, is famous in the city for making furniture and wanted to import wood from China, for which he needed Rs1.5 crore.

The complainant was introduced to the main accused in the case who is absconding. The accused claimed that the businessman would have to pay a deposit of Rs20 lakh to get the loan sanctioned.

An officer from Powai police station said, “The businessman was finding it difficult to arrange for such a huge sum, so he met the two absconding accused Aakash and Pankaj through a common friend. Aakash claimed that he would help him get the desired amount but the businessman would have to pay Rs20 lakh as deposit, to which both parties agreed.”

Later, the two accused arranged for a room in a five star hotel near the airport and asked the businessman to keep the amount in the locker of the room.

“Aakash and Pankaj had planned to escape with the amount from there itself, but the businessman had been guarded, with a deal that he would know two digits for the password of the locker and the accused would know the other two, so that nobody can cheat the other of the money,” said an officer.

Following this, the two accused came up with a back-up plan and they arranged for another accomplice, Parvesh Kumar who is a mechanical engineer.

“The gang posed Kumar as a person who was acquainted with bank officials and met the complainant outside Bank in Powai, on the pretext of a meeting in the hall,”said an officer.

The accused came to the bank with the businessman in a car. The money was brought along.

In order to make it look realistic, Kumar mailed the Axis bank, and showed the same mail at the counter inside the bank.

“At the counter, the accused and the businessman were refused, following which Kumar asked the complainant to wait inside the bank, until he completed the formalities. The complainant sensed something amiss and tried following him outside, where he was stopped by a person wearing an assistant police inspector’s uniform. The accused got into the car and fled with the money,” said an officer.

Later the car was found outside Powai plaza and the gang members escaped in another car.

During investigation, the police went through the mail in the bank and learnt that Kumar is an account holder of the bank’s Delhi branch.

“We laid a trap outside his residence in Delhi and nabbed him,” added an officer.

The accused has been booked under sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian penal Code. The police have learnt that Aakash’s original name is Naveen and trying to locate the other absconders.

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