Navi Mumbai: A 52-year-old woman, identified as Neelam Sharma, has been arrested by the NRI police from Ghaziabad in Delhi in connection with allegedly cheating three businessmen of Rs 1.45 crore by promising them attractive returns on investments in mining and transport businesses. Her husband, Harishankar Pandey, who is also allegedly involved in the fraud, remains absconding and police are searching for him.
Couple Allegedly Promised Returns From Mining Business
The couple allegedly posed as operators of a large mining and transport business in Jharkhand and Punjab and lured the businessmen into giving them money for various business purposes. Police suspect that the duo may have cheated several others using a similar modus operandi.
The case came to light after complainant Sanjay Rai, 48, a shipping businessman with an office in CBD Belapur, approached the NRI police. Rai said he met Pandey and Sharma in February 2025, when the duo claimed to have a large transport and shipping business across the country and gained his confidence.
Shipping Businessman Lodges Complaint
They subsequently sought money from Rai for mining and other business-related purposes, promising to return it within a few days. Rai allegedly paid them Rs 46.87 lakh in several instalments.
However, after the promised repayment period elapsed, the accused allegedly avoided returning the money, citing various reasons. When Rai repeatedly demanded repayment, Sharma and Pandey allegedly abused him over the phone and threatened to implicate him in a false case and kill him. The duo subsequently went absconding.
Businessman Allegedly Paid Rs 46.87 Lakh
Rai then made inquiries about the couple and learnt that they had allegedly collected Rs 62.14 lakh from Ganesh Patil and Rs 36.50 lakh from Santosh Gharat in a similar manner.
Following Rai's complaint, the NRI police registered a case against the accused and began searching for them. Police had been looking for the duo for nearly two months, but they allegedly kept changing their locations to evade arrest.
After receiving information that the accused were in the Delhi region, a police team comprising Police Sub-Inspectors Dheeraj Gupta and Monica Yele and two constables was sent to Delhi. After Sharma's location was traced to Ghaziabad, the team began searching for her.
When Sharma allegedly sensed the presence of the police, she attempted to flee. However, the police chased and apprehended her.
Sharma was brought to Navi Mumbai on Saturday and produced before a court. The court remanded her in police custody till September 23,
“Her husband, Harishankar Pandey, is still absconding and efforts are underway to trace him,” police said.
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