The constable had pretended to conduct a fake raid when the businessman handed over Rs 5 lakh to the fraudsters as RTGS fees for getting him a loan of Rs 5 crore in Ramdev Hotel, Borivli (East) on June 15
Police officials with the accused
A suspended police constable and his two associates have been arrested by the Kasturba Marg police for duping a Saudi Arabia-based businessman to the tune of Rs 5 lakh.
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According to the police sources, the constable had pretended to conduct a fake raid when the businessman handed over Rs 5 lakh to the fraudsters as RTGS fees for getting him a loan of Rs 5 crore in Ramdev Hotel, Borivli (East) on June 15.
The complainant identified as Intekhab Sayyed (37) met one of the accused identified Azhar Patel at an exhibition and mentioned that he wanted to open a business in Mumbai and needed finance. Patel assured him to provide a loan of Rs 5 crore and fixed the meeting with one of his associates and the other accused Ganesh Belvatkar at Ramdev Hotel.
Patel introduced Bevatkar as a boss who will provide loan to Sayyed. Patel also informed the complainant that he would have to pay Rs 5 lakh as the RTGS fees to them. When they were going to do the transaction and had received the fees, the third accused identified as Ram Singh Dolge, a police constable entered the office wearing khaki pants. Patel told the complainant that the police had conducted a raid and fled with the accused Bevatkar with the money.
Police officials pictured with the recovered amount
On realising that he was duped, Sayyed approached the police and registered a complaint against them.
Under the guidance of DCP Somnath Gharge, API Om Totawar, his team began the investigation and checked the CCTV footage of the hotel and nearby area. They found out that when Patel and Bevatkar entered the hotel, Sayyed was with them. Dolge entered the hotel a couple of minutes during which the duo took the money from Sayyed and fled from the spot, said senior inspector Anil Avhad.
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On reaching the hotel, during the investigation, they learned that Patel was in Kolhapur from where he was arrested. Through Patel, the police arrested Belvatkar and Dolge from Nalasopara and recovered Rs 4.15 lakh from the trio. The police presented the three before the court where they were remanded to police custody.
Accused Dolge was attached to Maharashtra Police in the year 1961 but he was dismissed from the force due to his criminal activities in the year 2016. He was attached to the LA department in Naigaon, Dadar, and has a couple of cheating cases against his name in the Mira Road and other police station, said another officer.