Pune Man Duped of Rs 1.53 Crore After Being Intoxicated for 10 Days; Eight Booked

Hadapsar, 3rd May 2025: A 39-year-old man from Kalepadal has alleged that he was kept intoxicated for 10 straight days by a group of individuals, including his colleagues, who then used his identity and documents to fraudulently secure loans worth ₹1.52 crore. The funds were siphoned off using his bank credentials and blank signed cheques.

The complaint, registered at Kalepadal Police Station, has led to a case being filed against eight individuals: Priyanka Dhruv Kumar, her husband Dhruv Pradeep Kumar, Ajinkya Suryakant Jadhav, Saurabh Pandurang Mane, Dipendra alias Vishnu Bharat Kunwar, Dipna Bharat Kunwar, Swapnil Patil, and Mangesh Nair.

According to Police Inspector (Crime) Amar Kalange, the alleged incident occurred between November 22, 2021, and June 7, 2022, at a residence in Yashraj Green Castle, Kalepadal.

The complainant, a senior analyst formerly employed with a company in Magarpatta and later at ESDS Software Solutions in Nashik, claims he was initially introduced to the main accused, Dhruv Kumar, through his workplace. Kumar later introduced him to another accused, Saurabh Mane, who pitched a plan to revive a defunct steel plant in Tarapur MIDC, allegedly requiring ₹6 crore.

“They convinced the victim that ₹2 crore would be sufficient to restart the factory and promised high returns. Since the complainant had an existing loan, they brought in another accused, Dipendra Kunwar, who facilitated additional loans,” said an officer.

To show financial credibility, the accused helped fabricate documents to falsely reflect a monthly salary of ₹1.5 lakh. Based on these documents, loans were approved from nine different banks and financial institutions.
The situation worsened in May 2022, when the accused trio—Priyanka, Dhruv, and Saurabh—allegedly moved into the complainant’s house.

“Between May 11 and May 25, they deliberately kept him under the influence of alcohol, obtained access to his mobile phone and banking passwords, and used this information to apply for personal loans and transfer funds,” the officer added.

Investigations reveal that the accused withdrew ₹1.53 crore, including from the complainant’s existing account balance, by misusing signed blank cheques and transferred the money to various accounts.

The complainant, currently unemployed, approached the police after realising the extent of the fraud. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.