Mumbai: A scrap trader from Kurla has lodged a police complaint alleging that he was cheated of over Rs 35 lakh in a bogus hotel air-conditioner scrap deal orchestrated by two men from Pune.
Details On The Alleged Fraud
According to a Lokmat Times report, quoting the complainant, Imran Abdul Khan, claimed that Karim Khan and his son, Ahmed Khan, lured him into paying a hefty sum after promising to sell him AC scrap from a seven-star hotel in Pune. According to Imran, the duo gained his confidence after involving him in a previous chemical factory scrap deal in Goa in 2023, where he had earned considerable profit.
Introduced to Karim and Ahmed through his father’s friend Sajid Shaikh, Imran was told in March 2024 about the hotel scrap deal. The transaction was finalised at Rs 61 lakh for nearly 600 indoor units and 85 outdoor units. To further convince him, Karim and Ahmed even invited Imran to Pune to inspect the scrap material.
Believing the deal to be genuine, Imran, along with his business partner Tanveer Ibrahim Shaikh, transferred Rs 35,58,000 in multiple installments to the account of Karim’s firm, National Scrap Traders. In addition, he handed over Rs 11 lakh in cash via Sajid Shaikh, which Karim acknowledged.
Scrap Delivery Delayed Despite Multiple Assurances
However, despite repeated assurances, the scrap was never delivered. Imran alleged that the accused kept stalling, either blaming hotel management delays or demanding additional payments. Eventually, Ahmed told him that the scrap had already been sold to another buyer. When Imran demanded a refund, the duo allegedly refused and stopped taking his calls.
On August 8, 2025, Imran approached the police and filed a complaint accusing Karim and Ahmed of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and breach of trust. He alleged that the two had deliberately conspired to first gain his trust and then swindle him of lakhs of rupees under false pretences. A case has been registered in the matter and investigations are underway.
