Mumbai, December 20: In an incident of fraud, a Mumbai couple duped over 75 people for Rs five crore on the pretext of high returns on fixed deposits at post offices in the Malad area of the city. The couple also assured the victims a hefty return on mutual fund schemes in the two companies owned by them. The incident took place in the Dindoshi locality of the area on Saturday. Mysuru Man Duped Of Rs 99,999 By Online Fraudsters On Pretext Of Offering New ATM Card.

The accused have been identified as 50-year-old Manish Chauhan and his wife, 46-year-old Vandana Chauhan. They both are absconding now. The accused are residents of the Malad East area of Mumbai. According to a report published in the mid-day, the couple approached a woman named Urvashi Patel in 2018 and told her that they had been working at a post office for the past 15 years.

The accused promised Patel a handsome return on a fixed deposit of Rs 25,000. Vandana also told the victim that she and her husband owned two private companies – Niyoni Infra and Niyoni World. She asked Patel to invest in their companies. Vandana told the victim to invest Rs 700 per month for five years and, on the maturity, promised to give Rs 41,000. Online Fraud In Maharashtra: 55-Year-Old Man Duped Of Rs 2.83 Lakh By Cyber Fraudsters While Purchasing Mobile Phone in Raigad; Case Registered.

As per the report, Vandana’s mother-in-law had also invested Rs lakh in the scheme. However, when Patel approached Vandana for the returns, she started making excuses. Later, he even stopped picking up Patel’s calls. On December 18, Patel and another victim named Raju Gohil, whose Rs 1.5 lakh were duped by the accused, approached the police. A complaint was registered in the matter.

“Have known Chauhan and his family for almost 40 years. He was out on bail after spending five years in jail in a murder case. He and his wife used to work as collection agents. Six years back, he started two investment companies and got many people to invest in his schemes promising hefty returns, reported the media house quoting Gohil as saying. On the basis of the complaint, a case has been registered against the accused. The police have started an investigation into the case. A search operation has been launched to trace the accused.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 20, 2021 01:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).