Tribal school owner duped of Rs 52.5 lakh

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A tribal residential school owner from Nandurbar has allegedly been duped by a Mumbai-based finance company of Rs 52.5 lakh, on the pretext of securing a donation of Rs 30 crore. The owner had wanted the donation to expand his school to accommodate more tribal students. An FIR has been registered at the Parksite police station, but the police is yet to make any arrest in the case.

According to a complaint filed by Rajendrakumar Gavit, a Nandurbar-based educationist, he met one Ashraf Ali Sheikh through a friend in May 2018. Sheikh claimed to have been running a finance company in Ghatkopar West. Gavit wanted to expand his school, Tribal Devmogra Education Institute, and Sheikh claimed that he could help Gavit get a donation of Rs 30 crore.

In August 2018, Gavit came to Mumbai and met Sheikh, who told him that his institute would need to pay 1.25 per cent legal fees of the total donation sanctioned, following which he'd finalise the MoU. Gavit transferred Rs 37.5 lakh on August 18, 2018 to Sheikh's company Shreeji Finance and Investment. By the end of 2018, Sheikh demanded Rs 15 lakh from Gavit for personal expenses; the latter gave it after borrowing from others.

"When I didn't get the donation, I called Sheikh, who assured me that the money would come soon," Gavit told mid-day. "Finally, he gave me a cheque of Rs 37.5 lakh, which bounced. After badgering him, he issued two more cheques in January 2020 worth Rs 37.5 lakh, but both bounced again," he added. Gavit tried to contact Sheikh, but he remained untraceable. In August 2020, Gavit gave a written application to the Parksite police station. The police only registered an offence against Sheikh last week. "He has been booked under IPC sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating)," said an official from the Parksite police station.