Man borrows goods from online friends never to return them, arrested
TNN | Dec 28, 2018, 03:55 IST
Representative ImageTHANE: The Thane Nagar Police recently arrested a 36-year-old man who has been cheating several people by befriending them online. The police said, Mahesh Bhogle, a resident of Malwan, Sindhudurgh adopted a unique modus operandi and cheated several people almost to the tune of Rs 1 crore. Bhogle would take commodities like expensive cameras and cars on rent from the ‘friends’ and would never return them. He was finally traced to Mahabaleshwar and arrested, said DS Swamy, the DCP Zone1.
Swamy said, it was in August 2018 the accused developed friendship with a victim Vishal Sanap of Kisan Nagar and took his DSLR Camera after befriending Sanap. However, he never returned it and was not traceable for long.
The police who were probing the case came to know that he had cheated several people in the similar fashion where he borrowed goods and never returned them and nor was he traceable. Swamy said, “The accused wanted to live a luxurious life and thus chose to borrow things and sell them off. He was a computer literate and the victims got carried away by his fluency in English and sweet talking. He changed his mobile number and place of residence frequently to evade arrest.”
The accused took the assistance of the OLX and searched for cars and cameras to reach victims. He often took the goods on rent, but never returned them,” the DCP said while explaining his modus operandi.
The police recovered goods worth Rs. 12.65 lakhs from him which included 3 cars –Tata Tiago, Chevrolet and Tata Tempo and 11 digital cameras.
He was earlier arrested in a case in 2015 where he cheated people to the tune of Rs 27.87 lakhs. He was also wanted by Pune police where he stole 10 laptops worth Rs 2 lakhs. The EOW is probing into a case of cheating against him wherein he cheated nine victims of Rs. 51 lakh.
Swamy said, it was in August 2018 the accused developed friendship with a victim Vishal Sanap of Kisan Nagar and took his DSLR Camera after befriending Sanap. However, he never returned it and was not traceable for long.
The police who were probing the case came to know that he had cheated several people in the similar fashion where he borrowed goods and never returned them and nor was he traceable. Swamy said, “The accused wanted to live a luxurious life and thus chose to borrow things and sell them off. He was a computer literate and the victims got carried away by his fluency in English and sweet talking. He changed his mobile number and place of residence frequently to evade arrest.”
The accused took the assistance of the OLX and searched for cars and cameras to reach victims. He often took the goods on rent, but never returned them,” the DCP said while explaining his modus operandi.
The police recovered goods worth Rs. 12.65 lakhs from him which included 3 cars –Tata Tiago, Chevrolet and Tata Tempo and 11 digital cameras.
He was earlier arrested in a case in 2015 where he cheated people to the tune of Rs 27.87 lakhs. He was also wanted by Pune police where he stole 10 laptops worth Rs 2 lakhs. The EOW is probing into a case of cheating against him wherein he cheated nine victims of Rs. 51 lakh.
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