Man held for duping to the tune of Rs 24.76 lakh

PUNE: The Kothrud police on Saturday arrested absconding suspect Yashwant Pandey (57) of Indore in Madhya Pradesh for allegedly duping several people to the tune of Rs 24.76 lakh between 2006 and 2008, on the pretext of helping them obtain loans.
Pandey was brought to the city from Indore on a transit police custody remand on Sunday. On Monday, he was sent to police custody till September 29.
According to the police, Pandey, impersonating an agent of the Chennai-based Megacity fincon company had duped Sanjay Bhosale (47) of Pimpri to the tune of Rs 6.25 lakh, on the pretext of helping him obtain a loan of Rs 10 crore.
The police said using the same modus operandi, Pandey and absconding suspects Sushil Joshi, Prakash Ruke, Shivaji Shevagar and Sunil Botra had duped several people in the city.
After Bhosale had paid the money to Pandey and did not get the loan, he had registered a cheating complaint with the Kothrud police under sections 420, read with section 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
Pandey was arrested at Indore, following a tip off.
Sub-inspector N H Jadhav produced Pandey before judicial magistrate first class Swarup Bose on Monday.
Assistant public prosecutor A V Ausekar told the court that the custodial interrogation of the suspect was required as he is one of the main suspects in the case. Ausekar sought time for recovering the fraud amount and for tracing his absconding accomplices and for collecting evidence.
The prosecution had demanded that the suspect be sent to 14 days police custody remand as he was involved in a serious offence.
The court sent him to three days of police custody.