Thane: A resident of Dombivli East has filed a complaint with the Manpada Police Station alleging that he and his wife were cheated of a total of Rs 6.33 lakh by a man from Thane, who lured them into a fake foreign investment scheme.
According to the police complaint, the accused, Nayan Sunil Gathe, a resident of Vasant Vihar, Thane, was a former colleague of the complainant at a vehicle company in Bhandup, as reported by Loksatta. After the complainant changed jobs and joined another firm in Kurla, Gathe remained in touch and convinced him to invest in a foreign company
Gathe claimed that investing in this company would bring returns of Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 within just two to three hours, citing purchases made through an online portal and profits generated from selling those items. Initially hesitant, the complainant eventually agreed due to repeated pressure.
Gathe and his associates claimed an initial investment of Rs 4 to Rs 5 lakh was needed. Since the complainant didn’t have the funds, Gathe encouraged him to take a personal loan. The complainant submitted the required documents, and a loan of Rs 3.81 lakh was obtained from a private financial institution in Thane, as reported. The full amount was then transferred to Gathe’s bank account via Google Pay.
Later, as per Gathe’s suggestion, the complainant’s wife transferred an additional Rs 2.83 lakh online to the same account. Gathe assured them that a business license would be provided by the foreign company, which he claimed had offices in Singapore.
Additionally, a wristwatch worth Rs 57,000, purchased under the complainant’s wife's name, was debited from their bank account without their request, further raising suspicions.
After receiving no returns and observing irregularities, the complainant filed a formal complaint. It is alleged that the accused did not invest the money and failed to provide any promised returns, thereby committing fraud.
