Cabbies cheated in loan scam say none believed them for yrs; Ggm cops urge victims to come forward

Manoj Kumar, assistant commissioner of police (Udyog Vihar), said they will appeal to all those who were duped to approach police and submit their payment receipts or any available proof

Sushpendra Singh, Wasid Khan, and Rashid Ansari are among the victims across Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh (who may number 500-600 after investigation) who fell into a financial trap set by a Gurugram-based firm.This firm, operational between 2017 and 2019 from Udyog Vihar Phase-I, is now charged with allegedly defrauding at least 25 people of ₹50 lakh by promising easy car loans. These victims, like many others, are now under severe financial strain.

The firm, operational between 2017 and 2019 from Udyog Vihar Phase-I, is now charged with allegedly defrauding at least 25 people of ₹50 lakh by promising easy car loans. (Representational Image)

The firm advertised that for a ₹97,000 down payment, individuals could receive a car loan, promising loan disbursal within a few days and vehicle delivery within two weeks, as well as potential earnings of ₹3,000-4,000 daily for cab services through deals with multinational firms and hotels. However, the outcome was devastating for the victims.

Singh was forced to sell his plot in his village and lost his stable income, Khan, a cab operator, lost his livelihood, and Ansari is still repaying money lenders years later, all due to the false promises of this scam.

Sushpendra Singh of Eta, Uttar Pradesh, said he had a steady income while working in a factory in Delhi in December 2018.

“One day, I saw the firm’s advertisement on a pamphlet taped to a wall and borrowed ₹1 lakh from a professional lender in my village at a 36% annual interest rate. In January 2019, I made a down payment of ₹97,000 to the firm. However, I never got my money back or a car to drive a cab,” he said, adding that he tried to live in Delhi but that repayment to the lender made it impossible for him to do so.

“Debt-ridden after being duped, I left Delhi and returned home. Later, the Covid-19 outbreak occurred. Finally, last year, the situation forced me to sell my village plot to pay off the loan that I lost in the fraud,” he said.

Wasid Khan of Seelampur, Delhi, is another victim who lost a stable income after being duped by the firm.

“I was making a good living by driving my cab. However, it had aged, and the cost of maintenance had risen. After learning about the loan scheme, I sold my cab for ₹85,000 and used my savings to make a down payment to the firm in April 2019 to purchase an SUV for my cab service. The company’s owner gave me a check, but it was returned,” said Khan.

He said the situation forced him to take petty jobs in private firms ₹15,000-18,000 monthly. “I avoided approaching the police and concentrated on earning money to support my family. I’m working in a small firm in Panipat to make ends meet,” he said.

Rashid Ansari of Loni, Ghaziabad, who was duped out of ₹1.8 lakh in 2018, said he saw the company’s loan scheme as an excellent way to start a career in cab services.

“I saw others earning more than ₹50,000 by operating a cab and thus arranged ₹1.8 lakh from relatives and money lenders to pay the firm for obtaining a loan and a car,” said Ansari.

“I was told my loan was approved on my second application day. So under the pressure of repayment, I took a day job right away. It’s been more than four years, but I’m still working on repaying them,” Ansari said.

Sanjay Kumar, the main complaint in the first information report filed against the firm and its owners at Udyog Vihar police station on Tuesday, said that a thorough investigation could push the victim count well beyond 500.

“We tried for four years to get an FIR registered, but nothing happened until we met ACP Manoj Kumar in April this year, who finally realised we were cheated and ordered action,” he said.

Meanwhile, Manoj Kumar, assistant commissioner of police (Udyog Vihar), said they will appeal to all those who the firm has duped to approach Gurugram police and submit their payment receipts or any available proof for the case to be investigated.