Businessman cheated of Rs 5.5 crore by localities

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

In a bizarre incident, eight persons from the city have cheated a Pune-based businessman Sunil Somwanshi (56) for Rs 5.50 crore against making him the director of Nirman Gold Alloys Company at Sultanpur (in the district). A case has been registered at the City Chowk police station on Wednesday.

It so happened that Bhushan Patil was knowing Somwanshi since 2009. In 2017, he asked for financial support from Somwanshi who then agreed to provide 16 shops as capital investment to him. Somwanshi was told that he will be made director of the company in Sultanpur and the shares of valuing Rs 2.30 crore will be given to him in 20 long months. Hence Somwanshi transferred his 16 shops (of Sunny Centre) in the name of the company. In May 2018, Bhushan procured a loan of Rs 30 lakh and Rs 5 crore by mortgaging the shops from Abhyudaya Sahakari Bank. Somwanshi was the guarantor in the loan.

In the meantime, Bhushan neither made Somwanshi director of the company nor gave back his 16 shops. Bhushan again obtained a loan of Rs 30 lakh and Rs 5 crore from the same bank to repay the previous loan. However, Somwanshi was unaware of it as his signature was forged as guarantor. When Bhushan failed to repay the second loan, the bank contacted Somwanshi to recover the dues.

The prime accused Bhushan through two loans and selling raw material of the companies (which were mortgaged with bank) got Rs 14.81 crore and transferred it in the name of his partner Manoj Tambat’s Tuljai Industrial Products and Aurangabad Food Industries. The accused to get cash sold out the raw material of the companies in the black market.

File offences

Somwanshi lodged a complaint in May 2023. Taking cognizance of it, the case was registered in January against Bhushan Pundalik Patil, Anita Bhushan Patil, Shekhar Bhushan Patil, Shravani Bhushan Patil (residents of New Osmanpura), Sanjay Bhavarlal Mandhana (Chanakyapuri), Kunal Gopichand Chavan (Hingoli Budruk), Manoj Dattatray Tambat (Shivdutt Housing Society, N-8 Cidco) and the partners of Aurangabad Foods Industries. Meanwhile, the case has been transferred to the Economic Offence Wing for further investigation, said the police inspector Sambhaji Pawar.