E-Paper
Cyber fraudsters dupe former high official of ₹6.70 crore
According to the police, the fraud began in April 2024 after the complainant received a phone call regarding a property registered in his mother’s name at Laxmi Park Society on Laxmi Road
A 61-year-old former additional director at a private firm, residing in Narayan Peth, was allegedly cheated of ₹6.70 crore over the past two years by cyber criminals who posed as contractors, bank officials and even a judge.
According to the police, the fraud began in April 2024 after the complainant received a phone call regarding a property registered in his mother’s name at Laxmi Park Society on Laxmi Road. The caller claimed that tree roots from the property had entered the sewerage line and that the drainage system would need to be rebuilt. He was told that the expenses would have to be borne privately.
Under this pretext, the accused demanded money for construction work, materials and machine deposits, and collected payments online. The complainant was later told that permissions from the Pune Municipal Corporation were required, following which additional amounts were demanded in the name of challans, transfer fees, service charges and maintaining bank account balances.
As per the complaint filed by Anant Athavale, who retired as an additional director at Serum Institute of India and is working as part time consultant in the same company, the accused continued extracting money by giving various reasons.
Assistant inspector and investigating officer Dadasaheb Patil said, “The fraudsters duped an educated man by emotionally blackmailing him.”
The cyber fraudsters allegedly cheated the complainant of ₹6,70,37,500 through various online bank transactions. Suspicious after repeated demands, the victim personally visited the society on Laxmi Road and found that no drainage work had been carried out.
He approached the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), following which a complaint was registered at Vishrambaug Police Station on Monday under Sections of 61(2), 319(2),318(4),316(5), 316(2), 308(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
