Pune: In a shocking case of fraud and extortion, six individuals have been accused of exploiting a retired headmistress's illness to force her to sell her Dhayari property at a fraction of its value, resulting in a loss of approximately ₹2 crore.
The fraud was uncovered when the victim, Taramati Sadanand Pathak, 75, filed a complaint with the Swargate Police Station.
The suspects have been identified as Advocate Ravi Suresh Jadhav, Chandrakant Gajanan Pokale, Chintamani Ankush Pokale, Tarunraj Sanjeev Kusalekar, Karan Sanjeev Kusalekar, and an individual named Abhijit.
According to the complaint, the suspects allegedly colluded to deceive Pathak into selling her 1.33-hectare land in Dhayari area for ₹1 crore, significantly below its market value of over ₹3 crore.
According to the complaint, the six suspects took advantage of Pathak's advanced age and illness to gain her trust and pressure her into the sale between 2022 and March 2024. The fraudulent transaction was just the beginning.
Suspects Jadhav and Abhijit further intimidated the elderly woman by demanding ₹10 lakh in extortion during a meeting at a café near her residence on November 23, 2023.
The police have registered a case against the six individuals and are conducting further investigations under the supervision of Assistant Police Inspector Rahul Kolambikar.
This incident highlights the vulnerability of elderly individuals and the lengths to which some will go to exploit them. Police have urged senior citizens to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities to prevent such fraudulent activities.
