Under pretext of setting up garage, brothers cheated of Rs 11.79 lakh

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Two brothers were allegedly defrauded of Rs 11.79 lakh by a man who offered to help them set up a four-wheeler garage in Pune.

A case has been registered at the Cidco police station against the accused, Santosh Patil Gorde, a resident of Wagholi, Pune. Complainant Madhukar Gadekar (37, Marsawali, Phulambri) and his brother Shivaji planned to open a garage in Pune. The accused, a native of their village who already ran a garage there, gained their trust by promising to arrange space and equipment. On his advice, the brothers rented a garage at Rs 75,000 per month with a Rs 2.25 lakh deposit. The accused quoted Rs 25 lakh for machinery, prompting the complainant to take a Rs 25 lakh bank loan and pledge 31 grams of gold. On July 2, 2025, Rs 10 lakh was transferred to the accused's account for lift machines. Equipment was delivered on July 10 and the garage inaugurated on July 24. Fifteen days later, the accused demanded the balance, claiming total material costs of Rs 21.70 lakh. The brothers transferred over Rs19.84 lakhs in phases online. When they sought bills, the accused produced invoices for 17 items worth over Rs 6.14 lakhs but verification with the Pune supplier revealed their actual value was only Rs 2.5 lakh, with total equipment cost amounting to just Rs 5.81 lakh. Realising they had been cheated of Rs 11.79 lakh, the brothers filed a complaint at the Cidco police station. Investigation is underway.