Pune Man Arrested for ₹2.85 Lakh Ice Cream Franchise Fraud

Pune police have arrested a man accused of defrauding ₹2.85 lakh by falsely promising a Meridian Ice Cream franchise and compelling the victim to invest in a non-existent business.

The accused, Nilesh Ashok Chavan (42), was apprehended on Karve Road after being spotted by the complainant, who quickly alerted the authorities.

The case began when Tejas Ravikant Deshpande (25), a resident of Pawan Nagar, Pimple Gurav, filed a complaint with the Sangvi Police Station.

The complaint detailed how, between March 2023 and April 2024, Chavan, along with another individual, Ashok Chavan, approached Deshpande with an offer to grant him a franchise of Meridian Ice Cream.

The accused convinced Deshpande to part with ₹2.85 lakh as an initial payment and further pressured him to invest ₹25 lakh in the business.

The victim, lured by the prospect of starting a profitable franchise, was coerced into initiating business operations. However, no franchise agreement was ever signed, and the promised franchise rights were never granted. Realizing the fraud, Deshpande approached the police, and a case was officially registered on April 16, 2024.

Nilesh Chavan, was caught when Deshpande noticed him on Karve Road and immediately contacted the police control room. Officers from Alankar Police Station, led by Constable Chandekar, swiftly responded to the tip-off and apprehended Chavan.

He was subsequently handed over to the Sangvi Police for further interrogation and legal proceedings.