The MIDC police filed an FIR on June 15 against an Indian car designer for allegedly cheating the director of an EV-tech firm of Rs 53 lakh. Police said the alleged act took place in 2024 after he persuaded Jayesh Thakkar, director of Mercury EV-Tech Limited and co-promoter of Mercury Cars Pvt Ltd, by claiming that both his children died of COVID-19 and making an emotional appeal to join hands with him.
Complaint Details
In his complaint, Thakkar stated that the designer assured him he could create two EV models and that he had the required setup to do so. “In August 2024, I sent my vehicle for modification to the car designer’s workshop in Pune, along with my manager, Mohammed Shanu, and driver Ali Mohammed. At that time, the designer expressed a desire to meet me by contacting Mohammed Shanu’s mobile. On Sept 1, I first met him in a Juhu hotel. Due to this persuasion, I fell prey to the temptation. They stated that the proprietary firm they were operating was in the name of the designer’s daughter-in-law, due to technical difficulties, and that I would have to take over the business from that firm. Since my company, Mercury EV Tech, is a registered company, it was technically not possible to merge its proprietary. Then they suggested establishing a new company, and his daughter-in-law was made a director in it, there would be no technical difficulty in taking over the business.”
Investment and MoU
An officer said that after the understanding was reached, the suspect told the complainant to invest Rs 2.5 crore in total to acquire the entire business from the designer’s daughter-in-law. Subsequently, an MoU was signed between them on June 27. As per the complaint, the designer was to run all operations of the company solely as its representative and would receive a salary. It was agreed that he would be paid a monthly amount — Rs 10 lakh per month to begin with, and Rs 15 lakh per month after three months.
Issues Discovered
The officer said the situation escalated after the complainant discovered issues with the designer’s way of working and that money for certain vehicle jobs was not being deposited with the company. Thakkar also learnt that multiple legal proceedings had been initiated against the designer in different courts, and that the ED, through a special court in Mumbai, had also taken action, with a related case still pending. “When the complainant enquired further about this, it came to light that in March 2025, his company purchased two four-wheeled vehicles for modification. The total bill for the modification of these vehicles amounted to Rs 1.77 crore, which was not deposited into the company’s bank account. Instead, he accepted some amount in cash and a total of Rs 53 lakh into the designer’s personal bank accounts.”
Investigation Underway
A MIDC police officer said an FIR has been registered, the investigation is underway, and no arrest has been made yet.
