3 held for cheating 11,000 women of Rs 40 lakh

The police arrested three women, who cheated approximately 11,000 women to the tune of Rs 40 lakh on Friday, reports Kiran Sonawane.

The police arrested three women, who cheated approximately 11,000 women to the tune of Rs 40 lakh on Friday.

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Neelam Sabale, Sangeeta Zhende and Urmila Sabale reportedly duped domestic helps living around Ambernath and Badlapur.

Gautam Deshmukh, Senior Inspector, Shivaji Nagar Police Station said, “Three women promised the victims good returns on their investment every week. They said after two years, the women would get Rs 2 lakh against their initial investment of Rs 520 only.”

“They promised to introduce a pension scheme and help during emergencies. But when some women approached for help, they were treated badly by the accused,” he added.

Sangeeta Ragade, a social worker, who took an initiative to expose the accused said, six months ago, Sabale and her accomplice came to her and narrated the scheme for domestic workers.

Ragade then introduced Sabale to the members of Sahyadri Molkarin Sanghatana, who invested Rs 520 each in the scheme and waited for the weekly and monthly returns.

But every time the women went to Sabale, she gave excuses and eventually started threatening and abusing the investors who went to the Pooja Mahila Mandal office or residence.

Parvatibai Kamble, one of the victims said, “The women had opened branches of the Pooja Mahila Mandal

at Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, Pune, Neral, Ahamadnagar amongst others cities. When the police investigate the matter properly, the reality will surface.”