In a significant development, the Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested Sayyed Mazhar, alias Khalil Morakar, in connection with a Rs98 lakh cheating case. Morakar, aged 45, was apprehended in Delhi and is the sixth individual to be arrested in this case. He was introduced to the complainant as the head of a fraudulent company and has been remanded to police custody until May 2.
Inspector Sudhir Jadhav confirmed that the Rs98 lakh was transferred into the accused’s bank accounts. Morakar faces a total of 15 cases registered against him across Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, and Jharkhand.
The scam targeted a 48-year-old software businessman from Ghatkopar, who was promised assistance in securing a Rs20 crore business loan at a lower interest rate. The complainant was introduced to the accused via a social media connection named Kamlesh K during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kamlesh claimed to be involved in the gold and finance business and connected the businessman with the suspects.
Between August 11 and September 3, 2021, the businessman paid a total of Rs98 lakh—Rs50 lakh and Rs46 lakh through demand drafts, and Rs2 lakh in cash—after being assured of the loan. However, after receiving the money, the accused allegedly ceased all communication, and the promised loan never materialized.
According to AEC sources, five other accused individuals have been arrested previously, including two from Chennai. The remaining three have been identified as Karthik Ravikumar alias R Karthik alias Kishore Srinivasan (33), Vicky Durairaj Nayker (27), and Sriram alias Narasimhan Ramdas (44).
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to apprehend the remaining suspects involved in this elaborate scam.
