The Malad police have booked a man for allegedly cheating a jeweller of Rs26.71 lakh on the pretext of speedy delivery of his newly-booked car.
In his complaint, Mitesh Jain, 34, said that he booked an Innova Hycross car in June 2023, however, the waiting period was around two years. Eager for earlier delivery, he consulted a friend, who shared contact details of the accused, Taran Singh, saying that he had previously helped secure a car through his connections.
Bragging about his contacts with car dealers across India, Singh assured him that if any bookings were cancelled, he would deliver the car within three to four months. He further guaranteed that he could arrange the delivery within a month, provided an advance payment was made.
Jain agreed and transferred Rs14.71 lakh from his company’s account to Singh's IndusInd Bank account. However, when he inquired a month later, the latter advised him to wait, citing pending deliveries.
After another month passed, Singh told Jain that his car was ready to be delivered and requested full payment. The jeweller then transferred an additional Rs15 lakh and contacted the accused, who assured that the vehicle would be delivered the next day. In this manner, Singh continued to provide various excuses.
Fed up, Jain finally demanded a refund, but Singh returned just Rs3 lakh. He later sent two cheques via courier, which bounced. He kept dilly-dallying, prompting the jeweller to approach the police.