Mumbai: After the Free Press Journal reported that a doctor couple in south Mumbai was defrauded of Rs 44,000 and their car in a bid to transport it to Visakhapatnam, two suspects have been detained by the police. The couple – Dr Stuti Basu and her husband Dr Sabyasachi Basu – had looked up for a suitable firm to do the job but had ended up being conned by the fraudsters.
They couple sought return of their car, only to face additional payment demands, following which they approached the police. Acting on police instructions, the complainants arranged a meeting with Mangesh Bhate, 20, and Arjun Pawar, 18, to hand over the additional payment, leading to their arrest by officers on the spot.
During interrogation, it was revealed that the accused reside in Sakinaka. Their contact details were reportedly listed on a website, leading Dr Sabyasachi to contact them.
Whenever Dr Sabyasachi requested the return of his car, the suspects demanded more funds. Upon informing the police of this extortion, authorities devised a plan to notify the culprits that Dr Sabyasachi would only provide payment upon returning his vehicle safely. Subsequently, both suspects were apprehended at Mumbai Central as they believed the doctor was ready to hand over the money, falling into the police trap.
Dr Stuti Basu works at a private hospital and her husband, Dr Sabyasachi, who works at Tata Hospital in Parel, had requested the transport of their vehicle to Visakhapatnam, as the latter had been relocated to the Homi Bhabha Cancer Research Center. However, their car, along with Rs44,000, vanished in the process.
The couple had initially contacted Agarwal Transport Company on March 24, where they were directed to Pankaj Singh, who requested Rs17,000 upfront for the service. Their car was then handed over to a man named Sunil on March 27, leading to demands for insurance fees. Despite Dr Sabyasachi’s refusal to pay, Singh assured him the vehicle was en route.
Tracking the car online revealed that it had reached Solapur and was impounded due to non-payment. Dr Sabyasachi then transferred Rs27,840 to Singh’s account, but the car never reached Visakhapatnam, prompting Singh to evade further communication.
Following this ordeal, the couple lodged a formal complaint with the Agripada police. Senior Police Inspector Yogendra Pache confirmed the arrest of both suspects, with their backgrounds currently under scrutiny.
