Mumbai:
In a plot fit for a Bollywood flick, a young couple charmed a considerable number of people into parting with their hard earned money, through an almost flawlessly executed plan.
The couple launched a buy-a-car-and-advertise scheme, thereby attracting hundreds
of customers with an unbelievable offer through advertisements in several leading newspapers.
The scheme seemed to have worked well for the couple for some time until their luck ran out last month.
The couple, Priya and Sagar Basuriya, co-owned their company, Team Associates, and came up with a scheme, which would require customers to pay a 30 per cent down payment for a particular car, and then get paid to display advertisements on the vehicle.
The revenue generated through advertising would then be directed towards paying EMI and once the loan was paid, the car would be transferred in the customer's name.
The cars on the other hand, were registered with the couple's company and although they were generating revenue through the advertising scheme, they were not paying the EMI amounts.
The customers realised something was amiss when the bank contacted them asking them to pay pending EMIs for the loan taken in their names.
At least 500 customers, who were duped by the couple through this scheme, staged a protest outside the company's office.
They also took the issue to the Kandivli police station yesterday, demanding quick action against the con-couple.
Sushil Panchal, a victim of the con-couple, said he lost Rs 50,000 in the scheme.
"I had joined the scheme in December last year. And now I have been cheated out of my money. I have recorded my statement with the police and will ensure that action is taken against the swindler couple," said Panchal.
Another complainant, Ambikaprasad Mishra said he lost Rs 7,000 and the Kandivli police investigating the case have appealed to others who may have been duped to come forward and register their complaints.
Taking note of the offence, the police detained the couple and will most likely book them for cheating and conspiracy.
The police are presently in the process of recording the statements of victims, before registering the FIR under appropriate criminal sections.