Nashik Farmer Duped in Rs 1.44 Crore Scam

A 29-year-old farmer from Niphad, Nashik, was allegedly defrauded of Rs 1.44 crore by a man from Kalyan, Thane, who promised to secure a liquor shop licence in Panvel, Navi Mumbai. The scam, spanning from July 2024 to January 2025, has led to a police investigation, with an FIR filed against the accused on August 23.

According to an official from the MFC police station, the accused convinced the farmer and his brother that he could facilitate the transfer of the liquor shop licence. Trusting the assurance, the brothers paid Rs 1.44 crore in multiple instalments. The accused allegedly transferred Rs 61 lakh to the shop owner but pocketed the remaining Rs 83 lakh without securing the licence.

When pressed for updates, the accused issued reimbursement cheques, all of which bounced, raising further suspicions. “The accused neither delivered the licence nor returned the money,” the official stated. The case has been registered under section 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

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This incident follows a pattern of frauds targeting vulnerable groups in Maharashtra, with another case reported in January 2025 involving a Paithani businessman cheated of over Rs 1 crore in a similar liquor licence scam. Police are intensifying their probe to uncover the full extent of the fraud.

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