MUMBAI: Police recently arrested two cousins from Bengaluru for duping a businessman of Rs 1.5 crore after promising him 35% returns in six months for investing in a 35-acre plot in Pune.
Anand Patel (45) and
Mehul Patel (37), employed and settled in Bengaluru with their families, were arrested on May 27, four years after the offence. Investigators found them with the help of call data records.
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Shetty, who owns a perfume manufacturing unit, met the cousins through an agent, who assured quick, good returns in 2014. "The duo collected the money and handed over forged documents to Shetty. The victim learnt about the fraud when he tried to contact the party who the accused claimed was interested in buying the land," said an officer of
Juhu police station.
The case was registered in Juhu as the financial dealings were done at Shetty's office. Shetty said, "The accused spun a web by showing fake company names interested in investing to start a company where the land is. The duo took me to the land and handed over documents. Six months later, when I tried to sell it, I found it was owned by someone else and the documents were forged."
The duo, in police custody till May 31, has been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 34 (common intention), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record).
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