Mumbai Crime News: Nashik Farmer Duped Of ₹1.44 Crore To Kalyan Man Promising Liquor Shop Licence In Navi Mumbai

Navi Mumbai: A 29-year-old farmer from Nashik has allegedly been cheated of Rupees 1.44 crore by a man who promised to get him a liquor shop licence in Navi Mumbai, police said on Tuesday. The accused, hailing from Kalyan in Thane district, had convinced the victim that he could facilitate the transfer of a licence of a liquor shop at Panvel in Navi Mumbai from the owner in his name.

Trusting him, the victim, belonging to Niphad in neighbouring Nashik district, along with his brother, paid Rupees 1.44 crore to him in multiple installments between July 2024 and January this year, an official from MFC police station said.

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After collecting the amount, the accused allegedly paid rupees 61 lakh to the liquor shop owner, misappropriated the remaining Rupees 83 lakh and failed to secure the licence for the victim, he said. When the victim questioned the accused about the status of the licence and the payments made, the latter issued some cheques as reimbursement. "All the cheques bounced, further raising suspicion," the official stated according to a report by India Today.

The accused neither returned the amount nor ensured the transfer of the licence in the victim's name, he said. Based on the victim's complaint, an FIR was registered against the accused on August 23 under section 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the police said. A detailed probe was underway into the case, they added.

Similar Incident

A 79-year-old Powai doctor lost nearly ₹25 lakh in a share trading scam, leading to arrests of two suspects, Prashant Chaudhary and Richard Rao, by the Mumbai Cyber Cell. The doctor, who heads a private company, received a WhatsApp message on July 17 promoting stock investments with a customer care number. After joining a group, he received stock tips and personal assurances from an admin, who created a fake trading ID and password for him.

Over a few weeks, he invested ₹25 lakh, encouraged by apparent profits. When he attempted to withdraw his money, his efforts failed, and the fraudsters claimed he needed to invest more to increase his “score.” After realizing he was scammed, the doctor reported the incident, leading to an investigation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act. Investigators traced the funds to Chaudhary and Rao, who laundered money through multiple bank accounts. Police warn citizens to beware of online investment schemes promising guaranteed returns.