2 brothers flee after taking advance payment for cars

MUMBAI: Officers from Waliv police station are on the lookout for the owners of CarBerry — brothers Sandip and Sunil Jha — and 11 others for duping at least 20 customers in Vasai by failing to deliver their cars despite taking an advance payment from anywhere between Rs25,000 to a few lakhs.

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The victims had booked their vehicles at the Gokhivare showroom in Vasai (E). However, they were in for a rude shock upon discovering that the showroom had shut when a few of them went to demand a refund. They learnt that the showroom had been shut since mid-August, just like the other outlets in Jogeshwari. Besides, the brothers have also pulled down their website and published an apology asking customers to have patience and faith in them. The message also promises refund at the earliest.

Mohammed Gaus Ali Querishi, who had booked a WagonR, said, “I was shocked to see a closed shutter. I somehow managed to a refund cheque, but it bounced in mid-August and with that, my dream of owning a new car perished.”

Mohammed Irshad Shaikh, a Jogeshwari resident, said “All the employees and their bosses have vanished into thin air with our hard-earned money.”

Sub-inspector Abdul Malik from Waliv police station said that so far 16 people have filed FIRs against the Jhas and 11 others. “The con job could run into several crores,” he said.