Mumbai’s crime branch Unit 8 has arrested businessman Anshuman Joshi, wanted in connection with a cheating case involving fake airline tickets. He was taken into custody from the Delhi police, who arrested him on August 3, 2024, in an unrelated case. Following his transfer to Mumbai on Monday morning, Joshi was immediately placed under arrest and presented in court, where he was remanded to police custody until August 23.
The police revealed that Joshi operated a call centre from Marol in Andheri, where he and his associates deceived people by offering cheap air tickets. Earlier, the crime branch had arrested 12 individuals linked to this scheme.
Last August, the Mumbai crime branch, led by Inspector Laxmikant Salunke, raided the Marol-based property, arresting Mridul Joshi (45) and 11 others involved in running the bogus call centre. They allegedly lured unsuspecting customers into paying for tickets that were either never confirmed or completely fake.
Following Anshuman Joshi’s evasion, he was placed on the ‘wanted list’ until his arrest by the Delhi crime branch in a different cheating case. Upon learning of his arrest, a team from the Mumbai crime branch traveled to Delhi, completed the necessary legal processes, and brought him back to Mumbai.
Investigations revealed that the accused spent over Rs2 crore on advertisements, primarily targeting Indians settled in Canada or those wishing to travel there. They used social media platforms to promote their fraudulent offers. Victims were often sent fake tickets or confirmations, and after payment, they would block any further communication.
The Joshi brothers had been operating this racket since 2020, relocating their entire operation to Mumbai in January 2023. Notably, Mridul Joshi, an engineer with experience in several corporates, and Anshuman Joshi were also implicated in a previous embezzlement case involving Rs16 crore from the Alwar Urban Cooperative Bank in 2016.
