The Vedantnagar Police on Monday arrested Vishal Chaudhary (32), who had cheated several people in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh by luring them with a promise of 13 per cent monthly returns on investments. After absconding for nearly six months, Chaudhary was nabbed in Nashik, where he had changed his appearance as a taxi driver. The arrest was confirmed by police inspector (PI) Pravina Yadav.
The main complainant, Adv. Gudipalli Nagesh (Adilabad, Telangana), lodged a complaint in April. Nagesh was introduced to Chaudhary through his cousin Rajan Pentam and friend Abhijit Nanekar. Chaudhary claimed to be running a dental film supply and transport business, offering high returns. Nagesh invested Rs 7.20 lakh on July 9, followed by Rs 80,000 and Rs 40,000 on July 12, totalling Rs 8.40 lakh. A notarised agreement was signed on June 9. However, Chaudhary soon stopped responding, prompting Nagesh to approach Andhra Pradesh police. The case was later transferred to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where the Vedantnagar police registered an FIR.
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PI Yadav revealed that Chaudhary had duped several youths in the city as well as in Andhra Pradesh. He had previously been booked in Jalna for cheating two people. Though arrested two years ago and released on bail, he continued fraudulent activities.
A police team led by PSI Vaibhav More and officers Ranjit Sulane, Manoj Chavan, and Pravin Mule had been tracking Chaudhary, who frequently shifted between cities and states. Originally from Surat, he had recently settled in Nashik's Adgaon area. By growing his hair and beard, he altered his appearance and joined a taxi company as a driver. Acting on a tip-off, the police apprehended him on Monday morning. A court remanded him to two days in police custody on Tuesday.