Mumbai Crime: Two held for duping sports gear firm owner of Rs 2.45cr

Mastermind, who was in charge of marketing her goods, presented auto drivers, vendors to her as coaches

The Charkop police have arrested two for duping the owner of a sports uniform and equipment firm in Charkop West of Rs 2.45 crore by presenting auto-rickshaw drivers, vendors and real estate agents to her as acclaimed coaches or famous sports personalities.

The arrested accused have been identified as Rohan Wadkar, 45, and Sanjay Patil, 47. The cops are on the lookout for four accused, including Wadkar’s wife.
According to police sources, Wadkar is the mastermind and he had come up with a fake marketing strategy and approached the 43-year-old complainant in 2018. The latter has a workshop in Borivli and an office located under the Charkop police’s jurisdiction.

Wadkar told the complainant he was acquainted with many coaches and sports personalities and he would market her products and sell the gear and equipment. “The complainant knew Wadkar as he was a marketing agent at the Omtex Sports Equipment manufacturing company where she used to work,” said an officer.

From the time he was hired till 2021, Wadkar secured ‘orders’ worth Rs 2.45 crore and he arranged for meetings with several people whom he introduced to the complainant as eminent sports personalities. “These people were auto drivers and real estate agents who had impersonated coaches,” the officer said.

The FIR in this case was registered in February.

“Under the guidance of Ajay Kumar Bansal, DCP (Zone XII), WAPI Anita Tonde began the probe and with the help of PSI Ramesh Waghchure, caught Wadkar on May 13 while Patil was arrested on Monday,” said Senior Inspector Manohar Shinde of Charkop police station.

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