In a major breakthrough, the Kashimira police arrested two men for orchestrating a large-scale fraud that defrauded 1,375 people of Rs20.60 crore by promising them high monthly earnings from a fake car rental business. The accused, identified as Sandeep Kandalkar, aka Raju Rajiv Joshi, and Sachin Tetagure, were arrested on April 29 in Mira Road and Dapoli in Ratnagiri district.
The accused convinced people to invest in a car rental business, claiming they would earn between Rs55,000 and Rs75,000 per month. They also offered a so-called airport and port pick-up service, involving high-end cars, such as the Innova Crysta, Kia Creta, and Mahindra Thar. However, after initially depositing the promised amounts into victims’ bank accounts to gain their trust, the accused eventually stopped making payments, leaving people financially stranded.
Kandalkar, a repeat offender with a history of 13 fraud cases, and Tetagure used the collected funds to buy expensive cars and SUVs. In total, they collected Rs20.60 crore from unsuspecting investors. Police seized 246 vehicles, worth an estimated Rs25 crore, including a range of popular models like Maruti Brezza, Maruti Ertiga, and Bolero Pickup, from locations across Mumbai and nearby areas, based on information provided by the arrested duo.
The police also identified several associates involved in the scam, including Divyata Mhatre (26), Rohan Mhatre (35), Pravin Telang (44), Vaishali Dhuri (47), Nilesh Shinde (38), and Babu Maruti Awad (49).
Madhukar Pandey, the commissioner of police for Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar, confirmed that the accused are charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for cheating, breach of trust, and involvement in an organized crime syndicate. The investigation revealed that the fraud had been ongoing for an extended period.
