Mumbai: Conman dupes Andheri resident using car rental scheme, arrested

One of the secondhand cars acquired by businessman Karandeep Singh Lugani

The Andheri police have apprehended a conman identified as Sheldon Vaz who allegedly cheated a businessman of approximately Rs 65 lakh. Vaz allegedly convinced the businessman to buy a fleet of 19 high-end cars and rent it to him for R22.17 lakh per month. Later, Vaz stopped paying the rent and refused to return the cars.

According to police sources, Vaz paid the rent only for the first couple of months before stopping the payments. This prompted the businessman, 32-year-old Karandeep Singh Lugani, who is the vice president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) North Central Mumbai, to file an FIR. The police have recovered around 10 cars so far.

Sheldon Vaz, the accused

Lugani runs a business of providing skilled manpower to foreign countries. He resides in JB Nagar, Andheri East, and has known Vaz for 13 years. According to Lugani, Vaz visited his home and office multiple times in February 2023 and introduced his high-end car rental business.

Vaz's scheme involved Lugani buying 19 secondhand high-end cars (of brands like Audi, Jaguar, BMW, and Mercedes) with the help of loans. Vaz would rent the cars from Lugani and pay him Rs 22.17 lakh per month, which Lugani would use to pay the EMIs.

Lugani discussed the scheme with his family and purchased 18 secondhand high-end cars. He issued a cheque of Rs 5.5 lakh and paid Rs 2.65 lakh in cash for a nineteenth car, but the purchase was never completed. The duo also drew up an agreement for the leased vehicles.

Vaz paid the rent for two months but subsequently ceased payments and avoided contact with Lugani. According to Lugani's complaint to Andheri police, when he did manage to speak to Vaz, the latter abused him and threatened him, prompting him to file the complaint. The FIR was registered in September.

Lugani denounced Vaz as a major swindler, claiming he had duped numerous individuals, including himself. Lugani emphasised two common tactics - taking high-end cars on rent and obtaining money by mortgaging them via unsuspecting individuals in Mumbai and surrounding areas.

An officer from Andheri police told mid-day, "Vaz was arrested on December 3 and is currently in police custody. The investigation is going on."

10
No of cars recovered by cops so far

Rs 65L
Amount (in cash and cars' value) Lugani has been cheated of