Couple duped of ₹1.6 crore on pretext of opening gym, restaurant

A couple, residents of Sector 49, was allegedly duped of about ₹1.6 crore by three persons on pretext of setting up a gym and a restaurant on Sohna Road for them,

A couple, residents of Sector 49, was allegedly duped of about ₹1.6 crore by three persons on pretext of setting up a gym and a restaurant on Sohna Road for them, the police said. The police said the couple, who used to work at different companies, had quit their jobs and invested ₹80 lakh in the project.

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In her complaint, the woman stated that they took a place on lease for ₹50 lakh for a year on Sohna Road. She said that in November 2017, her husband met one of the suspects through a broker who was looking for an investor for the restaurant business.

A case was registered on Monday against the suspects at Sector 50 police station.

Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said that one of the suspects had introduced his family members to the victims and within a span of one month, both the families came close to each other. “The main suspect, with the help of other suspects, with malafide intention had put such an imaginary picture in the mind of the couple that they started dreaming about having one of the best restaurants in the coming months. In December 2017, the couple again handed over ₹11 lakh for procurement of utensils and cutleries from China, and waited for them to start the project,” he said.

The police said whenever the victims used to ask the status of the shipment, the suspect used to mislead them and give some excuses.

The couple had also taken a loan of ₹40 lakh from the bank to ensure the work is not stopped, said the police. The suspects had promised to complete the project by September 2018, which was never completed.

“The suspects also took ₹40 lakh from the couple on the pretext of getting a liquor licence. The cost of gym establishment was agreed to be ₹50 lakh while the total project, including liquor licence, was agreed at ₹1.60 crore. The accused persons assured to complete the work in the above mentioned period and accordingly asked for another ₹20 lakh for ordering gym equipment from the United States of America,” said Sangwan.

The suspects kept on assuring that the gym equipment and kitchen items had been ordered, and formalities to obtain liquor licence were under process. “But, in actual, nothing was done by the accused persons and their only intention from the very beginning was to cheat the complainant,” said Sangwan.

A case under sections 415 (cheating by deceiving any person), 420 (fraud), 506 (threatening for life) and 120B (conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code was registered. No arrests have been made so far, the police said.