27 October,2014 10:36 AM IST | | Saurabh Vaktania
The man took more than two years to create an elaborate premise for the scam; told the victim he could sell him three high-end cars from the German consulate for Rs 40 lakh
A Delhi-based real estate agent has been arrested for cheating a hotel owner in Santacruz, after promising to sell him three luxury cars for Rs 40 lakh.
The accused, who created the entire premise over a period of more than two years, also took him to the German consulate in New Delhi and gave him fake papers of the consulate and of a Social Welfare Minister of the capital city.
According to police, in 2011, the accused, Aman Chaudhary, stayed at the victim Vijaykumar Shetty's hotel in Santacruz for a few days. In the following months, Chaudhary stayed at Shetty's hotel several times, during which the duo became acquaintances.
The accused told Shetty he was a real estate agent and a dealer of imported cars in Delhi. In 2012, he told the victim that the German embassy was auctioning three cars a Jaguar and two BMWs and he could get the cars for him for only Rs 40 lakh, as he had contacts in the consulate.
Representational pic
Shetty, along with his cousin brother, travelled to New Delhi, where Chaudhary met them near the German consulate and showed the three cars parked there. He also introduced them to one Shivam Tyagi, an âofficer in-charge' of the consulate.
To seal the deal, the accused also gave him papers on the letterhead of the consulate with a pay order and vehicle name, and a letter from an MLA and Minister of Social Welfare Department, offering unique vehicle numbers, all of which were later found to be counterfeits.
Convinced, Shetty transferred the money in three instalments to Chaudhary. However, after a few months, the accused changed his number and did not deliver the cars as promised. Shetty checked the bank account information and found out that it was false and also discovered that there was no person named Tyagi in the consulate.
He registered the complaint at Santacruz police station. Based on a tip-off, cops arrested Chaudhary. His two accomplices, Tyagi and one Ravikant Sharma are still on the run. "Chaudhary has been charged under several sections of cheating, forgery and section 170 (impersonating a public servant) of the IPC; he has confessed to his crime.
The hunt of the other two is still on. They had a well drawn-out plan for cheating and could be involved in several such cases," said an officer from Santacruz police station.
