Pimpri-Chinchwad: It’s been over 19 years since the release of the iconic Bollywood comedy 'Phir Hera Pheri'. Despite the movie being famous, and the chit fund scam it’s based on being even more well-known, people still fall prey to such scams.
A similar case has come forward in Pimpri-Chinchwad's Chikhali area, where more than 30 people have been duped of Rs 3.85 crore in total. Police suspect even more complaints may be filed in this regard.
The scam, led by a woman and her husband, includes five accused in total. They have been identified as Santosh Barbade (resident of Chikhali) and his wife. Others include Abhijeet Hande, Laxman Mule and Aniket Hande, whose details are not yet known.
According to the police, the accused owned Rajyog Chit Fund Private Limited, which had its office in Chikhali's Purna Nagar.
The accused met the lead complainant, Subhash Abhimanyu Hiwale, a 62-year-old businessman of Nigdi, and told him that by investing in the chit fund, he would receive double the money, quick returns and easy profits. They reportedly also claimed they did intraday trading, which earned them easy money. The complainant personally invested Rs 8.50 lakh, while his company invested Rs 34.32 lakh.
However, when they demanded their money back, the accused refused, giving vague reasons such as the money being stuck in the taxation process or the monthly transaction limit being exceeded.
This entire incident occurred between February 2022 and this Thursday, when the complaint was finally registered.
By then, the office had moved, phone numbers had become unreachable, and the accused could not be contacted. In all, Chikhali Police Station, under the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC), has received 37 complaints, all alleging fraud involving several lakhs. A combined case has been registered with the 62-year-old businessman from Nigdi as the lead complainant.
A police official told The Free Press Journal, “Currently, the accused are absconding. We have received over 35 cases. A case of fraud has been registered with Chikhali Police Station. We are currently tracking all the accused.”
Assistant Police Inspector Ram Gomare is investigating the matter further.
