Mumbai: An elderly woman in Kandivali, East was defrauded of approximately Rs 9 lakh by three individuals. The trio allegedly misappropriated Rs 8.74 lakh under the pretext of investing it in a networking business.
The accused have been identified as Manoj Vinarkar, Manish Vinarkar, and Chetan Devkar. The police are searching for them and investigating whether they have similarly deceived others.
According to the police, the complainant, 65-year-old Mangala Parsekar, resides in Kandivali East. A retired private bank employee, she lives with her husband and brother. Her relative, Prakash Nagaonkar, introduced her to the accused Manoj Vinarkar, describing him as smart, ambitious, and successful in the software and networking profession. He suggested that investing with Manoj in a business would yield good returns.
A few days later, Manoj Vinarkar contacted Parsekar and provided details about the investment. In December 2018, he visited her home along with his friend Chetan Devkar. They informed her that a minimum investment of Rs 10 lakh was required for the networking business and assured her of high returns, along with a refund of the principal amount within a few months. Trusting them, she invested a total of Rs 8.74 lakh between December 2018 and June 2021.
However, after receiving the money, the suspects failed to start the promised business. Mangala repeatedly contacted Manoj, Manish, and Chetan to inquire about the business, but she received no response. Realising she had been deceived, she began demanding her money back. Despite her persistent requests, the trio refused to return her investment.
She subsequently reported the incident to the Samta Nagar police and lodged a formal complaint against the three accused. Following an investigation, the police registered a case against Manoj Vinarkar, Manish Vinarkar, and Chetan Devkar under sections 34 (common intention), and 420 (cheating and dishonesty) of the Indian Penal Code on January 30. Since all three have absconded, the police are actively searching for them.
