18 August,2026 12:00 PM IST | Nashik | mid-day online correspondent
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A businessman was allegedly cheated of Rs 35 lakh by a group that promised to secure him a Rs 300 crore road construction contract for the upcoming Kumbh Mela in Maharashtra's Nashik district, police said.
With the latest case, police have registered five cases related to an alleged fake work order racket and arrested six people for reportedly cheating victims of around Rs 3.4 crore, officials said.
According to police, three of the accused approached the businessman and offered him a Rs 300 crore contract for road work related to the Kumbh Mela.
The accused allegedly showed him a forged work order carrying the Government of India emblem and the name of the Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority, a police official said.
Believing the offer to be genuine, the businessman paid Rs 50 lakh to the accused for tender sanctioning. However, he subsequently received no further information regarding the contract, police said.
When the businessman demanded that his money be returned, the accused allegedly paid back only Rs 15 lakh, leaving Rs 35 lakh outstanding.
Following a complaint from the businessman, Nashik Road police registered a case against the accused on Sunday.
Police are investigating the latest case as part of the larger alleged fake work order racket linked to Kumbh Mela-related contracts.
In a separate incident, Thane Police have registered a criminal case against the CEO and three partners of a Satara-based agribusiness firm for allegedly defrauding an FMCG company of Rs 40 lakh and launched an investigation, an official said on Saturday.
According to police, the accused entered into an agreement with Pitambari Products to supply jaggery powder at a cheaper rate in September 2024, following which the FMCG company transferred an advance of Rs 40 lakh to the accused firm.
However, after receiving the funds, the firm failed to deliver any jaggery powder and diverted the money for personal financial gain, police said, adding that the alleged crime took place between September 1, 2024, and August 13, 2026.
Following a formal complaint lodged on August 13, the Naupada Police registered an FIR against four individuals associated with Synergy Hitech Agro for cheating, criminal breach of trust, joint intent, and dishonest acts under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Nobody has been arrested.
(With inputs from PTI)
