The Sanpada police have revealed that two members of a gang, who were recently arrested for creating a fictitious bank, were employees of a bank and used their knowledge of loan documentation to dupe people.
The APMC police busted the gang and arrested Rohit Nagwekar (30), Bhalchandra Palav (27) and Omkar Mhatre (35) on September 2. The police seized two cars and forged documents. The police said the accused created Vijaydeep Co-operative Bank after the bank they were working in shut down.
The Sanpada police said the accused, who are in their custody, cheated people of ₹68 lakh. Their victims were mostly residents of Sanpada, Nerul, Naupada, Bhoiwada, Bhiwandi, Vartak Nagar, Kala Chowky, Khadakpada and Chunabhatti. The police said the accused would make the victims pay a processing fee to secure loans. They promised loans at lucrative interest rates to lure clients.
Assistant police inspector Keshav Dinde said, “Two people have filed complaints of being cheated of ₹5 lakh. The accused took advantage of the lockdown and the rise in financial problems to dupe people.”
Assistant police inspector Bhushan Pawar from APMC police station said the accused were history-sheeters and had various cases registered against them. They were arrested earlier for crimes committed at Vartak Nagar in 2018 and Naupada in 2019. They were recently released on bail and started conning people again.
₹13 lakh cheating case
Mr. Pawar said, “The cars we seized were second-hand ones bought a year ago with swindled money. We laid a trap using a decoy customer in need of a loan and arrested them.” Once their remand ends with the Sanpada police, the Nerul police will seek their custody in a ₹13 lakh cheating case filed at the police station.