Mumbai, April 5: A 29-Year-Old man named Sahil Abdul Hameed Sheikh, was arrested by Samta Nagar police in Mumbai for duping a childless woman to the tune of Rs 9 lakh under the pretext  of assisting her with child adoption. The Crime Branch recently apprehended Sheikh from the Versova area of the city and transferred his custody to the Samta Nagar police, who had filed an FIR against him in 2022. Besides deceiving the victim, Sheikh also illicitly employed her documents to purchase a new motorcycle.

According to several reports, the accused posed as an NGO employee and falsely promised the victim that he would help her in adoption of a newborn baby. The 46-year-old woman was introduced to Sheikh by one of her friends in 2020, reported Free Press Journal. Desperate for a child, the complainant trusted the conman who swindled her out of lakhs of rupees over the next two years. Housing Fraud in Mumbai: History Sheeter Sells 'Flat' for Rs 88 Lakh by Posing As Owner of Building in Dadar, Arrested for Cheating and Forgery.

The complainant, a resident of Kandivali East aged 46, has been a nurse and dedicated patient caretaker for decades. Desperate for a child after being unable to conceive during the span of her 15 years of marriage, the woman sought help.

Sheikh claimed to have arranged a child from an ashram and arrived at the complainant's house with adoption-related forms. There, he collected copies of the woman and her husband's PAN cards and Aadhaar cards. Subsequently, he accepted Rs 1.7 lakh from her and provided a picture of a girl child. However, he later informed her that the child had died due to Covid-19, and promised to arrange another child for the complainant, said a police official privy to the case. Mumbai: Borivali-Based CA Arrested for 'Rs 3,000-Crore Scam Involving Corporate House' Post on X, Uploading Company's Bank Statement.

He then proposed another girl child, who was under the care of her grandmother, who was unable to provide for her. The woman then gave Sheikh ₹7.5 lakh to transfer to the grandmother for relinquishing the child. However, after delaying the process for over a year, Sheikh ceased responding to the complainant's calls and messages.

In 2023, when the complainant failed to obtain the child through Sheikh, her suspicions arose. Additionally, she received phone calls from another company demanding repayment of an automobile loan amounting to Rs 80,000. Realizing she had been deceived, the woman lodged a complaint with the police. During a combing operation Sheikh was apprehended by police in Versova. Following his arrest, the police registered a case of cheating against Sheikh under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code based on the woman’s complaint.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 05, 2024 05:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).