E-Paper
Retired ACP, kin booked for ₹2.4 crore land investment fraud
To execute the alleged fraud, the accused opened a bank account in the landowner’s name and obtained a pay order of ₹50 lakh from the complainant, police said.
Pune:
A retired assistant commissioner of police (ACP) and four others, including his wife and son, have been booked by the Chaturshringi police station for allegedly cheating a city-based businessman of ₹2.4 crore under the guise of a land investment deal. The accused allegedly used fake bank accounts and a bogus company to siphon off money over nine years, and later threatened the complainant when he sought a refund.
The accused have been identified as Sushil Shankarrao Kadam, his wife Nanda Kadam and son Aniket Kadam –all staying near Talwalkar gymnasium on Fergusson College road; along with Datta Kedari of Boraj village in Khed taluka; and Balasaheb R Walunj of Kamshet in Maval taluka. The case is based on a complaint filed by Abhijit Vilas Undre, 35, a resident of Manjari Khurd.
According to the police, Sushil Kadam, who retired from Pune police as an ACP, allegedly approached the complainant between December 2016 and May 21, 2025, claiming that a 12-acre land parcel in Boraj village, owned by a Mumbai-based individual, was available for sale and would yield high returns.
To execute the alleged fraud, the accused opened a bank account in the landowner’s name and obtained a pay order of ₹50 lakh from the complainant, the police said. They also allegedly got the complainant to transfer ₹25 lakh via RTGS to another account in Solapur in the name of a firm, ‘Ariston Multicare Pvt Ltd.’, which investigators suspect to be fictitious. Another ₹30 lakh was collected over time on various pretexts.
The police said that the accused later took ₹1.35 crore in cash from the complainant, claiming it was required to execute the sale deed. Despite receiving the full amount, the transaction was never completed.
Investigators added that the accused attempted to delay the deal by falsely claiming that the landowner had died, although he was alive. When the complainant demanded a refund, the accused allegedly evaded him and issued threats.
An offence has been registered under sections related to cheating, forgery, criminal intimidation and conspiracy. Police sub-inspector Jadhav is conducting further investigation.
