How a car salesman duped customers of crores

MUMBAI: The last post on the Instagram page of Scuderia Automotive Private Limited, a Navi Mumbai-based car dealership read, “GLA35 AMG delivered! Congratulations to the owner,” accompanied by a set of images of the mountain grey vehicle. Third in the Mercedes AMG model, the ex-showroom price of an automatic in this series starts at ₹59.40 lakh. The pictures were posted on December 8, 2021.

A day later, the 23-year-old owner of the dealership, Arjun

Raj Iyer was arrested for cheating a customer of several lakh rupees.

Over the next few months, 10 more cases were registered against the Navi Mumbai resident in Mumbai, Pune, Ratnagiri and Nagpur.

The investigating teams pieced together the scheme that Iyer allegedly masterminded to earn lakhs from unsuspecting car buyers.

He reeled them in by promising high-end vehicles with heavy discounts, including a Mercedes Maybach (ex-showroom price of ₹2.10 crore) for ₹1.65 crore.

Investigators said the cost of these cars totals ₹55 crore, of which Iyer reportedly offered a discount of ₹20 crore. Iyer is currently lodged in Taloja jail, and the police have filed three charge sheets against him.

Sameer D Hatle, the advocate appearing for Iyer in all 11 matters said that the delay in delivery did not amount to cheating and that “the allegations in all FIRS are stereotypical in nature”.

“The police department being aware of the fact that the cars are booked in the names of the complainants and Mr Arjun Raj has made part payment against the car value, still the offences were registered. Taking into consideration the circumstances and intricacy of law, delay in delivery of the cars cannot amount to cheating. It was merely a contractual obligation,” he said.

IYER REELED THE BUYERS IN BY PROMISING LUXURY VEHICLES AT DISCOUNTS, INCLUDING A MERCEDES MAYBACH FOR ₹1.65 CRORE