Mumbai: In a shocking incident, a 42-year-old man allegedly cheated his old school classmate of Rs 1.25 crore by falsely claiming to be the vice president of a top software company. The accused, identified as Sandeep Dhanawade, resides in the Parsi Colony in Dadar. The Shivaji Park Police have booked him for cheating and criminal breach of trust.
According to the police, the complainant, 41-year-old Deepika Patil, was Dhanawade’s classmate and also a friend of his sister. Patil, a Chembur resident working in an Information Technology firm, had expressed interest in purchasing a flat in Mumbai, as reported by Hindustan Times.
In 2019, when Patil met Dhanawade, he allegedly posed as a vice president at a reputed IT company, claiming a monthly income of Rs 6 lakh. He told her that the income tax department had frozen his bank account containing Rs 33 crore and that he needed Rs 3 crore to unfreeze it.
According to the report, "He told her he owned a flat in Shivaji Nagar and another in Parsi Colony, each worth over ₹5 crore. He was willing to sell the Shivaji Nagar flat for ₹2 crore to Patil. He gained her confidence by showing her a sales agreement, share certificates, and a nominee list," said a police officer.
Starting in March 2019, Patil made payments to Dhanawade in instalments. She raised funds by borrowing Rs 76 lakh from friends and selling jewellery worth Rs 49 lakh. After handing over Rs 1.25 crore, Dhanawade allegedly refused to transfer the flat or return the money. Following this, Patil filed a complaint at the Shivaji Park Police Station. As of now, no arrests have been made in the case.
