BUSINESSMAN DUPED OF ₹12L BY CAR SHOWROOM EXECUTIVE

MUMBAI: A Borivali-based businessman fell victim to a fraudulent car showroom executive, losing ₹12 lakh meant for a down payment. Jigar Gothi, a 30-yearold garment trader, filed a complaint with the Juhu police, alleging that the sales executive, Mohammed Zaki Mulla, duped him by diverting the payment to a personal account.

According to the police, Gothi had first visited the car showroom on Juhu Tara Road in late October. The manager introduced him to Mulla who showed him cars and introduced the loan schemes. The executive kept in touch with the complainant and even called him a few days later to explain the down payment and financing options.

“Over the next couple of weeks, Mulla kept calling me to follow up about my decision. I finally chose the car and made the payment of the booking fee and the first installment of the down payment which amounted to ₹12 lakh. I was told that the car would be delivered to me in the last week of November,” the complainant told the police.

During that time, Gothi had to leave for his hometown in Gujarat, so he asked his friend Arif Sheikh to pick up the car on his behalf. The manager of the showroom was surprised to hear of a delivery to be made, as he had no idea that a car had been sold to Gothi. “When the friend showed him the proof of payment and documents provided by the accused, the manager told them that the said bank account did not belong to the company,” said an officer from Juhu police. On further enquiry, they were told that Mulla had already left the job. All efforts of his former colleagues and the complainant to contact the accused proved useless. Gothi made the police complaint after returning to the city last week. The accused was booked on Monday under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. The police said they are on the lookout for the accused.