Nagpur: A 27-year-old petroleum product dealer from Nagpur, Sparsh Gawande, was duped of Rs1.9 crore by a man, who lured him with the promise of a fake contract from Western Coalfields Limited (WCL). Gawande, who operates a petroleum trading business from his residence on Narsala Road, fell victim to an elaborate scam orchestrated by Sachin Sharma, the accused, who posed as a sub-contractor for WCL.
In 2023, Sharma approached Gawande with a lucrative offer, claiming that his company had secured a mining contract from WCL. Sharma convinced Gawande that his company was responsible for supplying goods required for the contract, and that payments should be made in Sharma’s name. Trusting the legitimacy of the arrangement, Gawande supplied large quantities of petroleum products to Sharma’s company.
Between May 23, 2023, and August 27, 2023, Gawande provided petroleum goods worth Rs1,92,61,305. Sharma also demanded an additional Rs4 lakh from Gawande to expedite the payment process. Initially, the payments seemed legitimate, and Gawande had no reason to suspect foul play. However, when Gawande eventually demanded the owed amounts, Sharma began evading him and made excuses, despite having received a substantial sum for the goods.
To make matters worse, when Gawande pressed for payment, Sharma allegedly threatened him and continued to dodge any responsibility, leading to financial loss and distress for the victim. Gawande has now filed a complaint, accusing Sharma of defrauding him through dishonest and fraudulent means, causing significant financial harm.
The police have initiated an investigation into the matter, and efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the accused.