Couple, out on bail, dupe people of ₹1crore

Officers from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Thane arrested a couple for cheating people of crores of rupees on the pretext of giving them 18% interest on their

Officers from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Thane arrested a couple for cheating people of crores of rupees on the pretext of giving them 18% interest on their investment, and then fleeing with the money. The accused have several cases registered against them in Bhusawal, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai and Thane.

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Jayant Zambre and his wife Harsha Zambre started a Ponzi scheme in Thane and Navi Mumbai. They were earlier arrested by Navi Mumbai and Nagpur police, and were released on bail recently.

As per the complaints filed with Thane police, the duo allegedly cheated people to the tune of ₹1 crore, while in Nagpur they duo allegedly cheated 295 people to the tune of ₹50 crore. Navi Mumbai police registered case based n complaints by eight victims who were cheated of ₹80 lakh. Police suspect the number of complainants will increase as the probe progresses.

The police said that in 2012, the couple started JS Finance and Capital Services in Nagpur and offered 6% interest per month. Later on, they came to Mumbai, changed their names and started their office in Kharghar under the name Ventura Solution Services, Kharghar, and offered 8% to 16% interest per month. However, after they lost the money after investing it in share markets, the customers filed a complaint. Following which, the couple were arrested by Navi Mumbai police in January.

Thane police said after coming out on bail, the accused opened a new company called Phoenix offering even bigger interest. EOW officers have so far received complaints from 25 people who were duped of a total of ₹1 crore.

An officer said, “ We immediately arrested the Zambres under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by a merchant), 420 (cheating), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, and sections 3 (fraudulent default by financial establishment) and 4 (attachment of property on default of return of deposits) of the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (in financial establishments), Act, 1999.”

In a similar incident, Mumbra police registered a case of cheating against a man and a woman of Diva who had allegedly taken ₹9.58 lakh from a family and invested it in a Ponzi scheme promising lucrative interest and returns. Mumbra police are yet to arrest the accused.

A police officer from Mumbra said, “The accused Dipa Shinde, 34, and Rohit Kamble, 35, took around ₹9.58 lakh from people by promising them returns with up to 12% interest but didn’t return the money even after two years. This led the victims approach the police station. We have registered the case but are yet to arrest the accused.”