Mumbai Crime: Two cheat Kandivli businessman of Rs 42 lakh, arrested

Accused Sachin Ahuja (right) Amit Mishra

The Bangur Nagar police have arrested two men accused of cheating a businessman of R42.85 lakh by promising him electrical supply orders for major builders in Mumbai. The accused gained the trust of Gauran Pravin Jhunjhunwala, 40, by initially placing small orders and promptly paying for them. Once they gained Jhunjhunwala's trust, the accused convinced him to accept a larger order. However, after paying a little over half the cost, the accused vanished.

Jhunjhunwala operates an electrical supply business in Kandivli. He met one of the accused, Sachin Ahuja, in March 2022. Ahuja invited Jhunjhunwala to his company, Radhakrishna Enterprise's office in Malad. Ahuja claimed that he had heard about Jhunjhunwala's work in the market and wanted to place an order for electrical wires to be used in new building projects by prominent builders. Ahuja placed an initial order worth R1.10 lakh and paid Jhunjhunwala by cheque.

Over the past year, Ahuja along with the other accused, Amit Mishra, repeatedly purchased wires from Jhunjhunwala. The total value of the orders did not exceed Rs 10 lakh. In 2023, Ahuja changed his business's name to Lakshmi Enterprises. According to the info rmation Jhunjhunwala gave to the police, from March 2022 to July 2022, the duo bought electrical wires worth over Rs 1.36 crore from him but paid only Rs 94.06 lakh. After persistent follow-up by Jhunjhunwala, Ahuja issued a cheque of Rs 10 lakh but it bounced.

With his payment of Rs 42.85 lakh remaining unrecovered, Jhunjhunwala approached the Bangur Nagar police and filed a case of cheating against Ahuja and Mishra, who then went into hiding after this. Under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone XII) Ajaykumar Bansal, an investigation was initiated by Senior Police Inspector Pramod Tavde, and assistant police inspectors Vivek Tambe and Rahul Bhadarge.

"We activated our informers, who gave us a tip-off that the two were hiding in the Mhada area in Goregaon, from where they were arrested on Saturday, November 4," said an officer from Bangur Nagar police. The police suspect that the duo may be involved in more crimes. According to an officer from Bangur Nagar police, they were presented in court on Tuesday for a second remand hearing and remanded to judicial custody.