Thane, April 5 A case has been registered against five individuals for allegedly defrauding a trader from Thane district in Maharashtra of ₹30 lakh by falsely claiming to offer him a dealership in herbal liquor products, police said on Sunday.
The trader, in his complaint on Friday, alleged that the accused lured him with the promise of distributorship of products purportedly manufactured by a company called Herbal Distilleries Pvt Ltd, an official said.
According to police, the accused, Pawan Dashrath Hagavane, Sharad Rambhau Gaikwad, and Mahendra Piraji Khilare, along with two others, approached the complainant between February and July 2021.
"They presented forged documents, including a letter allegedly signed by the company's CEO and bearing its seal, and claimed they were authorized representatives and part of the board of directors," the official said.
The accused also displayed sample packaging and images of herbal liquor products and allegedly induced the complainant to invest money by promising dealership rights for Thane, he said.
The complainant paid ₹30 lakh to the accused, but they did not provide any valid license or grant the promised dealership, the official said, adding that the trader was also verbally abused and threatened.
No arrests have been made so far, and an investigation is underway to trace the accused, he said.