**Mumbai: Shocking Rs 1.35 Crore Fraud on 71-Year-Old Woman Exposed by Bhandup Police**
In a startling case of deception, the Bhandup police have registered a case against Sagar Pinkesh Soni, Dhara Prakash Ved, and unidentified persons for allegedly duping 71-year-old Rekha Shyamsundar Chhabra of Rs 1.35 crore. The accused reportedly swindled Rs 1.03 crore in cash along with jewellery worth Rs 32 lakh from Chhabra under the pretense of providing assistance.
### Initial Trust Leads to Large-Scale Scam
Rekha Chhabra, a resident of Neminath Apartment, Sarvoday Nagar, Mulund West, lives with her 41-year-old daughter, Vinita. She had earlier lived at Prathamesh Viv Residency in Bhandup West until 2024. Her husband, Shyamsundar Chhabra, passed away in July 2022. In 2013, he had invested in company shares, which Rekha later decided to sell.
According to the FIR, the scam began when Rekha was introduced by her grand-nephew to a man named Pravin, alias Vinubhai Karsondas Ved. Vinubhai initially assisted her in selling some shares worth Rs 2.5 lakh and gained her trust. Believing him to be involved in a lucrative lending business, Rekha invested Rs 15 lakh in his venture. However, post the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vinubhai stopped sharing profits and never returned the principal amount.
### Soni Poses as Recovery Agent, Orchestrates Property Fraud
On September 25, 2023, Rekha was contacted by a man named Sagar Soni, who claimed he could help recover the lost money from Vinubhai. Soni said he received her contact through a spiritual guru in Ghatkopar, which helped convince Rekha of his credibility. He gained her confidence and collected Rs 5 lakh under the pretext of handling the recovery process.
### Gold and Properties Misappropriated Through Deceit
In January 2024, Soni claimed to have recovered Rs 30 lakh in cheques from Vinubhai and convinced Rekha to accompany him to the General Post Office near CST to deposit them. Under the guise of hallmarking her old jewellery, he took away 400 grams of gold valued at Rs 32 lakh, which was never returned.
Further deception involved the sale of Rekha’s flat at Prathamesh Pearl Building on LBS Road, Mulund West. Soni allegedly coerced her into selling the property to Pradeep Salvi for Rs 90 lakh, although the market value was around Rs 1.15 crore. While the proceeds were deposited into her account, Rs 26 lakh was deducted as builder payments, brokerage, and taxes; the remaining Rs 67 lakh stayed in her SBI account.
Soni also facilitated the sale of Rekha’s property in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, for Rs 20 lakh but transferred only Rs 10 lakh to her account, reportedly misappropriating the rest.
In July 2024, Soni falsely claimed to have purchased a new flat at “Atmosphere,” Mulund Link Road, for Rs 1.10 crore using Rekha’s funds. Investigations revealed the flat actually belonged to Deepak Agarwal and was merely rented by Soni, who misrepresented the deal as a purchase.
### Complex Financial Manipulations Uncovered
The fraud extended when Soni borrowed Rs 15 lakh from an associate, Santosh Pathane, by presenting Rekha as seriously ill and offering a security cheque signed by her.
Investigations further revealed that Soni had access to a joint HDFC Bank account belonging to Rekha and her daughter Vinita, from which he withdrew Rs 69.14 lakh by November 2024.
Following exposure of the scam, Soni went incommunicado.
A financial trail also revealed large sums transferred to an account held by Dhara Ved, later identified as the daughter of Prakash Ved, the brother of Vinubhai.
### FIR Registered and Investigation Underway
Realizing the extent of the scam, Rekha Chhabra approached the Bhandup police. Based on her complaint, an FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigations are currently ongoing to apprehend the accused and recover the misappropriated assets.
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*Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.*
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-crime-71-year-old-mulund-woman-duped-of-135-crore-in-multi-layered-fraud-case-registered
