Mumbai: Crime Branch Unit Five has successfully apprehended an accused individual involved in cheating companies through laptop rentals. The accused had been hiding in Delhi, concealing his true identity. With the help of Call Detail Records (CDR), the police were able to trace and locate him. The accused had absconded six months ago after closing down his company, which was situated in Mumbai's Shivaji Park area. According to the filed First Information Report (FIR) with the Shivaji Park police, the accused had fled with 238 laptops valued at Rs 84 lakh.
The Crime Branch has revealed that FIRs have been registered against the accused, Manoj Shamnarayan Goud (39), in four police stations across Mumbai. The police traveled to Delhi to apprehend the accused, and after monitoring his activities for three days, he was arrested as soon as he emerged from his residence.
Inspector Ghanshyam Nair, in-charge of Unit Five, and his team, along with Lady Police Inspector Bhor and her team, accompanied the investigation and arrest operation in Delhi. The Shivaji Park Police Station is leading the investigation.
According to a statement from a Crime Branch official, Goud had established a fraudulent company for the purpose of deceiving people. Initially, he would order a few laptops from rental companies and promptly pay for them. Once he gained the trust of these companies, he would place bulk orders for laptops, subsequently shutting down the company and absconding with the stolen devices. The police investigation has revealed that the accused had set up a company called Korean Spike IT Solution in the Char Bungalow area of Andheri. This allowed him to entrap unsuspecting victims and request laptop rentals.
The official further stated that the accused, Manoj Gaud, holds an M.Com degree and had attempted to write an e-book in 2019, which resulted in losses. To recoup these losses, Goud resorted to the fraudulent scheme as an easier way to obtain funds. He would establish a company, order laptops, and then sell them at discounted prices to other IT companies after closing down his operations.
A total of four cases have been registered against Goud for absconding after renting laptops, with cases registered at the Shivaji Park, Vanrai, Jogeshwari, and Andheri police stations. It has been estimated that Goud absconded with laptops worth approximately Rs 1.5 crore based on the cases filed. Goud has also defrauded other individuals in a similar manner, and they are expected to file FIRs against him soon. It is believed that Goud has cheated approximately one thousand laptops, all of which he has sold after running away.
