A resident of Pune’s Bavdhan neighbourhood, Kedar Chandrasekhar Mohire, found himself ensnared in a scam where a group of fraudsters exploited his trust, ultimately defrauding him of Rs 23 lakh under the guise of redeeming a purported gift at the airport. The deceptive plot unfolded between November 11, 2023, and December 30, 2023, leading Mohire to file a formal complaint with the Hinjawadi Police Station, Pimpri Chinchwad Police.
According to the FIR accessed by Pune Pulse, the victim’s account revealed that the fraudulent activities involved six accused: Preeti Johnson, Paul Mark, Lakshmi Bhatia, Anup Kumar, Abhijit Mondal, and Haroon Rashid. The accused are alleged to have initiated contact with Mohire through a Facebook friend request, with Preeti Johnson further engaging him on WhatsApp, claiming to send a gift and proposing collaboration on an Indian hospital project. The ruse was exposed when Mohire was coerced into paying exorbitant fees under the pretense of receiving the gift at the airport.
Hinjawadi Police have filed a case against the six accused under Sections 419 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Sections 66 (C) and 66 (D) of the IT Act. The investigation into the fraudulent activities is currently underway.
