In a dramatic development, the Vartak Nagar Police in Thane apprehended Jay Dudhane, a former runner-up of a popular Marathi television reality show, at the Mumbai airport on Sunday. The arrest is linked to a major alleged cheating case involving a staggering sum of Rs 4.6 crore.
Airport Detention and Alleged Property Fraud
Dudhane was taken into custody just as he was preparing to board a flight with his wife, brother, and sister-in-law. The police acted on a lookout circular issued against him. According to officials, the core of the allegation revolves around a fraudulent property deal. Dudhane and his family are accused of attempting to sell five commercial shops located in the Gandhinagar area on Pokhran Road No. 1 in Thane. The critical twist is that these properties were already mortgaged to a bank, a fact allegedly concealed from the buyer.
Sequence of the Multi-Crore Transaction
The complainant in the case was first approached by the accused in March 2024 regarding the purchase of these shops. After negotiations, the final deal was settled at Rs 4.9 crore. The First Information Report (FIR) details that between March and May 2024, the buyer paid Dudhane a total of Rs 3.2 crore through cheques. The transaction was even formally registered at the sub-registrar's office, lending it an air of legitimacy.
However, communication reportedly broke down following the death of Dudhane's father in June 2024. Police state that the complainant later paid an additional Rs 1.3 crore after Dudhane allegedly assured him that the bank loan on the properties had been cleared and even handed over physical possession of the shops.
Unraveling of the Alleged Scam and Arrest
The situation took a sharp turn when Dudhane later confessed that the bank loan was still unpaid. Shockingly, he then allegedly demanded another Rs 55 lakh from the complainant to prevent the bank from seizing the mortgaged shops. The buyer also accused Dudhane of producing forged documents claiming the mortgage was cleared. After realizing the scale of the alleged deception, the victim approached the Vartak Nagar Police, leading to the registration of a case and the eventual airport arrest. Dudhane has claimed he was unaware of any lookout notice against him. The investigation is ongoing as police delve deeper into the financial trail and document forgery allegations.
