Mumbai Crime: Teenagers arrested for cheating fruit vendors in Ghatkopar

Abid Kamar Abbas Sayyed, one of the accused

An astute fruit seller helped catch two youngsters trying to fleece him with fake messages of digital payments they never made. The Pant Nagar police, who arrested the duo, said a gang had been operating for the past three months and targeted at least two other vendors using the same modus.

A 17-year-old boy and 19-year-old Abid Kamar Abbas Sayyed are among those apprehended, while two of their accomplices are on the run.

The fake SMS

Around 3 pm on May 9, the duo came to Mahesh Gupta's shop at Hingwala Lane, Ghatkopar East, and enquired about the price of mango. Gupta quoted R500 for a dozen and Abid asked him to pack two dozens of mangoes. The teenager asked for his mobile number to make online payment.

Meanwhile, the minor boy asked him whether he had R5,000 on him, saying that he needed cash but didn't have an ATM card. An unsuspecting Gupta gave him the cash.

Gupta then received an SMS that Rs 6,000 had been debited to his account. He checked his bank account statement, but found no such transaction and informed the two young men. The duo told him that the amount will reflect in some time, but Gupta got agitated and asked them to leave the shop.

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Argument and cops

"This led to an argument between Gupta and the two youngsters. Around 5.30 pm, a police patrol van noticed the scuffle and stopped to check. On hearing the entire episode from the fruit seller, cops smelt a rat and took the duo to the police station," an officer from Pant Nagar police station said.
"Three fruit sellers also followed," he said.

Police said the preliminary investigation has revealed that the duo have so far cheated three vendors, including Gupta, so far to the tune of R28,000. They have received more applications from others, who also claimed to have been duped by the duo a few weeks back.

PSI Vilas Pansare, who is the investigating officer in the case, said the accused are residents of Govandi and had drafted a message in their mobile phones. "They would change the amount before entering a shop and send the SMS after pretending to transfer money," he added.

Cops check for other victims

"We are questioning them to find out how they got the idea and how many sellers they have cheated. Their bank accounts have to be verified for the transactions," Pansare said.

Pant Nagar police have filed a case under IPC Sections 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) against four people, including Abid, the minor and the two absconding men.

Cops on Wednesday produced the minor before the juvenile justice board, which sent him to remand home.

"As per the preliminary investigation, the accused were active for over three months and the modus was exactly the same. Cops are in touch with other fruit sellers to know if they were targeted," said Senior Inspector Ravidutt Sawant of Pant Nagar police station.

Rs 28,000
Amount gang has stolen from 3 vendors

Rs 5,000
Amount duo fleeces from Ghatkopar vendor