A 57-year-old police constable has been defrauded of ₹93 lakh by a businessman who falsely promised him a partnership in two companies. The swindler, Apoorva Jagdish Mehta, 48, from Goregaon, claimed that the venture was initiated under the orders of Sharad Pawar, the chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
The victim, Vijay Gaikwad, a constable at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, had interacted with Mehta frequently, as Gaikwad provided services to VVIPs at the airport. In 2021, Mehta convinced Gaikwad to invest in a new business he was starting on the basis of Pawar’s endorsement. Mehta proposed naming one company after his daughter and the other after his son, claiming that Pawar’s connections would ensure the business’s success.
Mehta informed Gaikwad that an investment of ₹1 crore was required. Believing in the legitimacy of the offer, Gaikwad sold his flat, took a loan from LIC, and withdrew funds from his Provident Fund, totaling ₹93 lakh, to invest in the venture.
When Gaikwad asked about the delay in the company’s formation, Mehta attributed it to a supposed “Rahu Dosha” in Gaikwad’s daughter’s horoscope, recommending a puja at Dakshineswar Kali Temple, which Gaikwad carried out. Mehta further manipulated Gaikwad by having him sign documents at Dindoshi court, falsely assuring him that the company was in progress.
It was only later that Gaikwad discovered Mehta had exploited Pawar’s name to perpetrate the fraud. Gaikwad subsequently reported the matter to Sahar police, who have filed a case against Mehta for criminal breach of trust and cheating under sections 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).