Suspects Promise Builder Rs 1.6 Crore in Counterfeit Notes, Cheat Him of Rs 40 Lakh in Dombivali, Maharashtra, India

Four people in Maharashtra’s Thane district have been booked for allegedly cheating a builder out of Rs 40 lakh ($54,400). The accused individuals promised the victim counterfeit notes worth Rs 1.6 crore ($218,000) in exchange for the cash. The suspects first took Rs 1 lakh and then an additional Rs 39 lakh from the builder at a farmhouse. They then posed as police officers and claimed to have seized all the money during a raid. The accused have been identified as Swapnil Jadhav, a conservancy worker, Aadesh Bhoir, a driver, Sachin Jadhav, a labor supplier, and Akshay Gaikwad, a gram panchayat clerk. They have been booked under the Indian Penal Code for cheating and posing as government servants. Authorities are currently working to apprehend the suspects. In a separate incident, two individuals in Navi Mumbai were booked for allegedly cheating a merchant out of Rs 24 lakh ($32,800) in a clove deal. The suspects promised to supply cloves to the merchant but failed to do so after receiving the payment. The accused, identified as Sibu Singh and Ashok Mehta, have been booked on charges of cheating and criminal breach of trust. Investigations are ongoing in both cases.