Thane businessman cheated of Rs 50 lakh in fake cooking oil deal

A businessman from Maharashtras Thane district was duped out of Rs 50 lakh allegedly by two persons who promised to supply cooking oil of a popular brand at reduced rates an official said on Friday reported news agency PTIThe alleged fraud took place between August 2020 and May 2021 said the complainant a resident of the Ambernath area The accused persons have been identified as Pune residents Mukesh Pandey and Pallavi Raut reported PTIAs per the FIR registered on December 31 the accused approached the businessman with an offer to supply cooking oil at rates lower than the prevailing market price They also assured him of substantial profits from the resale of the oil the official said reported PTIBelieving their assurances the complainant allegedly transferred Rs 50 lakh to the accused in several instalments However the promised consignment of cooking oil was never delivered police said reported PTIWhen the businessman later followed up for the supply or sought a refund the accused allegedly avoided him and eventually became incommunicado He then approached the police the official addedOfficials did not explain why the man filed the police complaint after so many yearsEfforts are being made to trace Pandey and Raut they said reported PTICaretaker booked for swindling Rs 15 lakh from elderly mans bank accountIn another case the police in Maharashtras Thane district have registered a case against a caretaker for allegedly siphoning off nearly Rs 15 lakh from the bank account of an elderly man by misusing his mobile phone and digital banking facilities an official said on Friday reported PTIThe action against accused Rohan Rajbhar came on a complaint by the mans 33yearold daughter a resident of the Dombivli area he said reported PTIThe complainant stated that the accused worked as a caretaker for her 69yearold father between November and December 2025 During this period Rajbhar allegedly gained access to her fathers mobile phone and banking details and used them to steal money the official saidAccording to the complaint Rs 1497985 was fraudulently transferred to different bank accounts without the knowledge or consent of the senior citizen The transactions came to light after the family checked his bank statements reported PTIA case has been registered at the Dombivli police station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act the official said adding that efforts are being made to verify the financial trail identify beneficiary accounts and ascertain whether others were involved in the alleged fraudWith inputs from PTI