Thane crime: Scrap dealer booked for cheating supplier of Rs 1 cr

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An official on Wednesday said that the police have registered a case against a scrap dealer for allegedly duping a supplier of nearly Rs 1 crore in Maharashtra's Thane district, reported news agency PTI.

The dealer used to purchase scrap material from the victim who stored it at a godown in Bhayander area.

Between April 1, 2022 and April 29, 2024, the dealer purchased scrap material of Rs 6.30 crore but paid the supplier Rs 5.31 crore, the official from Navghar police station said while sharing an update on the Thane crime, reported PTI.

When the supplier asked for the balance payment, the dealer refused and later became unreachable, he said.

Based on the supplier's complaint, the police on Monday registered an FIR against the dealer relevant legal provisions for cheating and other charges, he said while sharing an update on the Thane crime, reported PTI.

Couple duped of Rs 80 lakh on promise of getting payments bank's franchisees; 3 booked

Police have registered a case against three persons for allegedly duping a couple in Maharashtra's Thane district of Rs 80 lakh by promising to get authorisation to open franchisees of a payments bank, officials said, reported PTI.

The incident occurred between August 2022 and April 2023, and an FIR in this connection was registered on Thursday, they said.

The accused have been identified as Kalpit Ashokbhai Soni (46), Kunjalsingh Vikramsing Solanki (33), both from Gujarat, and Surendrakumar Kishorelal Sharma (40) from Rajasthan, the police said, reported PTI.

"The accused trio contacted a 46-year-old businesswoman, who along with her husband was assured that they would be granted authorisation to open franchisees of a payments bank," an official of Kasarvadavli police station said.

"Between August 2022 and April 2023, the accused offered the businesswoman and her husband franchise opportunities in Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat. They promised that they would secure them the gold loan franchisee/master franchisee and cash management schemes. The couple believed them and transferred Rs 80 lakh to the accused in instalments to their bank accounts," he said, reported PTI.

But despite paying money to them, the victims neither got their money back nor received the authorisation for franchisees of a payments bank. After the couple realised that they had been duped, they lodged a complaint, the official said, reported PTI.

The accused trio was booked on the charges of criminal breach of trust, forgery, criminal breach of trust, cheating, criminal conspiracy and common intention.

(With inputs from PTI)