Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
A trader from Jadhavmandi allegedly cheated two men from Himachal Pradesh of ₹13.27 lakh by luring them with the promise of double profits through the sale of apples from Himachal, which are in high demand in the city. A case has been registered at the Cidco police station against S K Shan, the operator of Shan Fruit Agency in Jadhavwadi.
Bipin Chauhan (resident of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh) had lodged a cheating complaint with the city police. For the past four years, he has been purchasing apples from farmers in Himachal Pradesh and selling them to traders in Mumbai, Kolkata, and other states. On August 2, his friend Raman Sharma informed him about Shan, a city trader, and shared his mobile number, claiming that Shan offered good rates for apples. Shan tempted them with the promise of fetching ₹3,200 per box for large apples and ₹2,200 per box for smaller ones.
Attracted by these high rates, Chauhan decided to send apples to Jadhavmandi. Through a transport company, he dispatched 465 boxes of apples worth ₹11.64 lakh. On August 6, the driver delivered the goods, and Shan expressed satisfaction with the quality of the apples. Chauhan instructed him to sell only if the agreed rates were secured. However, Shan sold the entire stock on his own, and later sent Chauhan only ₹2.99 lakh, claiming that was the total sale value of the 465 boxes. He also threatened Chauhan not to call again.
Similarly, Shan allegedly cheated another apple trader, Anil Thakur from Kullu, of ₹4.63 lakh. A case has been registered against Shan at the Cidco police station. PSI Anil Nanekar is investigating the case.