Pune: Two Arrested for Cheating Car Seller with Fake Currency, Rs 42.5 Lakh Seized
Pune, 6th April 2026: The Chakan North Police Station have arrested two accused for allegedly cheating a car seller using fake currency notes and seized counterfeit notes worth Rs 42.5 lakh from their possession.
According to Senior Police Inspector Jitendra Kadam, the complainant Huzeb Firoz Bagwan (26), a resident of Baramati, had come to Pune to sell a car belonging to his friend, Arbaz Ayub Sheikh. Accused Ganesh Dnyandev Thakare (21) contacted him over the phone expressing interest in buying the vehicle.
The deal was finalised on Sunday at Manik Chowk in Chakan, where the accused agreed to pay Rs 3.5 lakh for the car. He handed over Rs 3 lakh in cash, packed in plastic-wrapped bundles of Rs 500 notes, and promised to pay the remaining Rs 50,000 after the ownership transfer.
After receiving the cash, the accused fled with the vehicle. When the complainant later checked the bundles, he found that only the top and bottom notes were genuine, while the rest were counterfeit. He immediately approached the police.
Acting swiftly, a team under the guidance of Inspector Vinod Patil launched an investigation. A team led by Police Sub-Inspector Sachin Morkhande used technical analysis and informant inputs to trace the accused within a few hours.
The police arrested Ganesh Thakare and his accomplice Sameer Dinkar Mahale. From their possession, officials recovered the car, counterfeit Rs 500 notes resembling Indian currency worth Rs 42.5 lakh, a two-wheeler used in the crime, and materials used for packing the fake currency bundles. Further investigation is underway.
