Pune: A furniture store owner has been duped of Rs 5.25 lakh by an unknown person who pretended to be an executive and promised to give dealership of Hindustan Unilever Company by producing a forged letter in the name of the company.
Sunny Ramchandra Ghule (31), a resident of Dattawadi in Uruli Kanchan has filed a complaint in this regard. Based on his complaint, Loni Kalbhor police have booked an unidentified person on charges of cheating Ghule. The suspect who had told Ghule that his name is Vikram Singh has been booked under section 420 (cheating) and section 463 (forgery) of Indian Penal Code by Loni Kalbhor police.
According to police, Ghule owns a furniture shop by the name of 'Swastik Ply Furniture' at Uruli Kanchan. He had filled up an application form in June month to obtain the dealership of Hindustan Unilever Company. He had also sent the email to the company's email id.
A couple of days later, Ghule received a call on his mobile phone from a person who said his name is Vikram Singh. Vikram Singh claimed to be a representative of Hindustan Unilever Company. He asked details about the furniture store and other businesses of Ghule. Vikram Singh also asked Ghule to send his photo and images of Aadhar Card and PAN card. A few days later Vikram Singh sent a letter confirming the dealership awarded to Ghule, which later turned out to be a forged document.
Earlier, after sending the confirmation letter Vikram Singh asked Ghule to deposit Rs 2.5 lakh in a bank account against the registration fee, company software machine, computer, printer and barcode machine and closed-circuit television cameras. Later Vikram Singh again demanded Rs 2.5 lakh from Ghule in the name of sending goods.
Ghule waited for several days for the material to arrive, but when it didn't he called up Hindustan Unilever company office and enquired about Vikram Singh. Company officials told Ghule that no such person called Vikram Singh was working with the company. Ghule then realised that he had been duped by a fraudster and immediately filed a complaint at Loni Kalbhor police. Assistant Police Inspector Pavan Chaudhary is investigating the case.
