Mumbai Crime Branch has busted a gang involved in procuring loans on high-end vehicles using forged documents and selling them illegally in other states. The gang exploited the CIBIL scores of prominent businessmen to create fake documents, securing loans from banks to buy expensive vehicles. The police have arrested seven members of the gang from different states and seized 16 luxury cars worth ₹7.30 crore.
The crime branch has arrested Ravindra Dinanath Girkar alias Pradeep Ravindra Sharma (47), Manish Subhash Sharma (39), Syed Naved Syed Zulfikar Ali (52), Danish Rafiq Khan (32), Sainath Venkatesh Ganji (29), Yashkumar Sunil Kumar Jain (33) and Iman Abdul Wahid Khan alias Deva (38) in this case. The arrested accused are residents of Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Kalyan, Dombivali, Thane, Bhiwandi and Kurla.
The case surfaced when Kalpak Mhatre, an employee of Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services, lodged a complaint at Parksite Police Station, Vikhroli, two years ago. He reported that a loan was fraudulently availed for a Mahindra Thar vehicle using bogus documents. Based on the complaint, a case of fraud and forgery was registered.
During the investigation, Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 3 detained Ravindra Dinanath Girkar, who confessed to the crime. Following his statement, a special team led by DCP Dutta Nalawade and senior officials conducted raids in Indore, Kalyan, Dombivli, and Thane, leading to the arrest of other gang members.
The gang accessed the CIBIL scores of businessmen from different states, created fake documents in their names, and secured vehicle loans from various banks. After purchasing brand-new luxury cars, they altered the chassis numbers and sold them at lower prices in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Gujarat.
The gang used forged Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, RC books, MMRDA allotment letters, bank statements, and IT returns to obtain vehicle loans. They also duplicated RC books to sell these vehicles to unsuspecting buyers. Additionally, stolen vehicles were modified with fake chassis and engine numbers before being sold illegally.
The police have recovered 16 branded luxury vehicles that were illegally sold in various states. Further investigations are underway to identify more individuals involved in the racket.