Kandivali Police have arrested a businessman and co-owner of a private firm for allegedly duping an electronics supplier of ₹1.17 crore by failing to pay for goods taken on credit. The accused, identified as Darshan Chudghar, is currently in police custody. His partner, Vikram Omprakash Srivastava alias Vicky, has been named as a wanted accused in the case.
The complaint was filed by Jitnarayan Pradhan, a resident of Kandivali and owner of Crystal Technology Systems Pvt Ltd, which supplies IT hardware and software products. For the past eight years, Pradhan’s firm has been wholesaling laptops, computers, and related equipment from brands like Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, and others.
In April 2023, Pradhan got acquainted with Vikram Srivastava, owner of Padmavati Enterprises, where Darshan Chudghar was also a partner. The duo expressed their intention to conduct business with Crystal Technology Systems. Though initially hesitant, Pradhan eventually began business transactions with them.
Following this, Pradhan supplied Padmavati Enterprises with laptops, CCTV cameras, DVRs, NVRs, storage devices, and other electronic goods worth ₹1.54 crore. Out of this, only ₹36.77 lakh was paid. The remaining amount—₹1.17 crore—was unpaid as the cheques issued by the firm bounced in the bank.
When Pradhan tried to follow up with Srivastava and Chudghar, they allegedly dodged calls and provided evasive responses. Upon visiting the listed office address in Goregaon, Pradhan discovered that another company had set up operations there.
Investigations revealed that the duo had similarly duped another company in Pune of goods worth ₹1.5 to ₹2 crore, also taken on credit. They reportedly employed the same modus operandi in multiple cities, including Mumbai and Pune: building trust, obtaining electronics on credit, and fleeing without payment.
After the fraud came to light, Pradhan lodged a formal complaint with the Kandivali Police. Based on the complaint and subsequent investigation, police registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against both Chudghar and Srivastava.
Taking serious note of the case, senior officials directed Kandivali Police to launch a special operation to nab the accused. During this manhunt, police successfully arrested Darshan Chudghar three days ago. Efforts are underway to trace and apprehend co-accused Vikra Srivastava.