Pune: Two individuals have been arrested for allegedly defrauding a 32-year-old businessman from Wagholi of Rs 70.9 lakh under the pretext of helping him establish a call centre for food delivery and car rental services.
Arrests Made in Kharadi
The Kharadi police on Sunday apprehended two of the seven suspects: a 23-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man identified as Tushar Maheshkumar Talpada, also known as Tushar Patel. Both are residents of Ahmedabad. Senior Inspector Sanjay Chavan of the Kharadi police station confirmed that the remaining five suspects have been identified and are being sought.
Modus Operandi
The suspects used international cellphone numbers to build trust with the victim, pretending to call from Dubai while they were actually based in Ahmedabad. The complainant owns a company providing customer support services to online food delivery platforms. In January, he discovered a firm on social media claiming to be in a related business. Upon contacting them, the suspects claimed to be based in Dubai with various projects.
The businessman selected a food delivery platform and a car rental project for his customer support services. The suspects then invited him to Dubai, presented details about various companies, and allegedly took money in the form of deposits and other expenses. They instructed him to set up an office in Pune with seating capacity for 45 people.
Realisation and Complaint
Later, the victim realised no such company existed and he had been cheated. He filed a complaint at Kharadi police station, leading to the registration of a case and the arrest of two accused.
