Pune Man Borrows Rs 1.58 Lakh Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 to Open Snapchat, Never Returns It; FIR Registered
Viman Nagar, 9th July 2026: The Vimantal (Airport) Police in Pune have registered a case of criminal breach of trust and dishonest misappropriation against a Viman Nagar resident after he allegedly absconded with a high-end Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 smartphone belonging to his acquaintance under the pretext of opening a Snapchat account.
The incident, which occurred in April, led to an official First Information Report (FIR) being registered on July 2, 2026, following a preliminary inquiry into a complaint filed by the victim in May.
The Incident
According to the police, the complainant, Dilawar Shabir Shaikh (34), a native of Parner in Ahilyanagar district, and runs ‘Saibaba Pan Shop’ to support his family. On October 9, 2025, Shaikh had purchased a black Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 smartphone worth ₹1,58,000 from Ravi Telecom in Shirur.
On Monday, April 13, 2026, at around 6:00 PM, an acquaintance identified as Umesh Ashok Mulchandani (28), a resident of Viman Nagar, visited Shaikh’s flat. Mulchandani requested Shaikh to lend him his phone for just five minutes, claiming he needed it to set up his Snapchat ID.
Trusting his acquaintance, Shaikh handed over the expensive smartphone. Mulchandani then stepped out of the flat, telling Shaikh that he would open the ID downstairs and return the phone shortly.
Suspect Absconds with Evasive Excuses
When Mulchandani did not return even after 10 minutes, a worried Shaikh went downstairs to search for him but found no trace of him. Shaikh attempted to call Mulchandani, but the suspect refused to answer the calls and subsequently switched off the phone.
A week later, on April 20, 2026, Mulchandani sent a text message to Shaikh, claiming, “I have come to Lonavala for a wedding. The mobile phone was accidentally left back at my home. I will bring it and return it to you tomorrow.” Relying on this reassurance, Shaikh waited for another four to five days, but the suspect failed to return the device.
In subsequent interactions on WhatsApp, Mulchandani gave evasive excuses, even falsely claiming that the mobile phone had “broken.” Realizing he had been systematically cheated, Shaikh lodged a written complaint application with the Vimantal Police on May 5, 2026.
Police Action and Charges Registered
Following a preliminary investigation into the complaint application, the Vimantal Police officially registered FIR No. 0318 on July 2, 2026.
The accused, Umesh Ashok Mulchandani, has been booked under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023:
Section 314: Dishonest misappropriation of property
Section 316(2): Criminal breach of trust
The stolen property is described as a black Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 mobile phone valued at ₹1,58,000 and containing an Airtel SIM card.
