The victims decided to purchase household items and paid for them in advance, but on Thursday morning the demo store was found shut and the promoters went absconding.
Image taken inside the store
More than 250 people were allegedly cheated of lakhs of rupees by several people in Malvani after the culprits set up a demo store promising 45 percent discount. The victims decided to purchase household items and paid for them in advance, but on Thursday morning the demo store was found shut and the promoters went absconding.
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The people later approached the Malvani police station and registered their complaint; the police registered an FIR against the promoters and the police started the investigations. One of the victims Sanjeev Kumar said while speaking with Mid-day, “In the on 20th May, I learned from a friend of mine that a newly opened shop was offering huge discounts on household items including furniture, domestic items such as utensils, plastic and wooden goods. I visited the shop ‘M/S Sapna Traders’ which was situated in the bungalow in Malvani Mahada. I booked mattresses, a wooden cupboard, Thermo steel flask (1000ml) and a tub. I paid more than seven thousand for the goods, that was supposed to be delivered on 3rd June. But I got a shock when I found out that the people running the shop were absconding.
50-year-old Zarina Khan told Mid-day, “ On May 19, I bought three chairs, after I confirming that they were delivering the goods at the promised amounts, then I decided to book a sofa which costs over more than twenty thousand rupees in the market but was available for Rs. 6,700. They told me the item would be delivered only on June 2. I paid the amount they asked for, but on Thursday I learned about hundreds of people gathered at the store, when I reached came to know that the promoters had run away and shut the store, I was shocked. I then reached the Malvani police station and lodged a complaint.”
A police officer said, “We have registered an FIR under sections 420 and 34 of the IPC against several peoples of the M/S Sapna Traders, in our primary investigations we have learned that hundreds of people have been cheated, we are searching for the culprits.”
As per the police, the accused had rented out a bungalow in Mahada and allegedly cheated people on the pretext of selling washing machines, fridge, house utensils, wooden furniture, plastic chairs on the promise of given more than 45 percent discount from their actual prices.
The Senior Police Inspector of Malvani police Deepak Phatangre confirmed the incident, and an FIR has been registered under section 420 and 34 of IPC have detained few of the accused and doing the further investigation.
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