Crime branch nabs two for cheating bizman of Rs 5 lakh

Pune: The Pune crime branch on Wednesday arrested two men for duping a businessman of Rs 5 lakh on the pretext of exchanging US dollars for Indian rupees at a cheap rate on February 4.

Following a tip-off, the anti-organised crime cell of the crime branch, led by inspector Brahmanand Naikwadi, arrested the duo — Kishor Vaishnav (26) and Rahul Singh Valmiki (28) — from Hadapsar. The police have recovered Rs 5 lakh from them. Two of their accomplices, including a woman, are on the run.

Naikwadi said Valmiki knew the complainant Sunny Agarwal, as he used to work for the businessman as a salesman. “Valmiki knew that Agarwal would agree to purchase the dollars. On February 4, he called Agarwal with a proposal to exchange US dollars for rupees at a rate much lower than the market rate that day,” Naikwadi said.

Agarwal, after consulting his father, collected Rs 5 lakh. On the same day Agarwal, his father, his sister and Valmiki went to a spot near Vaibhav Talkies. A man, who was later identified as Kishor Vaishnav, approached their car and told Valmiki that he had exchanged the dollars for Indian currency. Valmiki then asked Agarwal to accompany him to a lane for the exchange. “Inside the lane, a 25-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman showed Agarwal and Valmiki a $20 note. Agarwal then handed over a bag with Rs 5 lakh in it to the man. In exchange, he collected another bag. However, when he opened the bag, he found a bundle, inside, which contained a bar of soap,” Naikwadi said.

Agarwal had then lodged a complaint with the Hadapsar police.

Naikwadi said the police have recovered the entire amount from Vaishnav’s house. “We have launched a manhunt to trace the two other suspects, one of whom is a woman,” Naikwadi said.