Fraudster Suryawanshi cheated people from different cities, promising gold at cheap rate, he collected lakhs of rupees from gullible victims
Mukesh Suryawanshi, the fraudster who duped several persons at various cities in the state by luring them with cheap gold, is currently behind the bars. Suryawanshi impressed people by his posh lifestyle and duped them of lakhs of rupees.
A 28-year-old woman from Baner, Pune, entrusted Rs 42.80 lakh to Mukesh Suryawanshi in January 2018. However, he only returned Rs 17.59 lakh to her, and after July 2018, stopped repaying. Fleeing to Dubai, he returned to Goa on March 6 of this year, where he was arrested upon arrival at the airport. He was later transferred to the Mumbai police for further investigation. A farmer from Dhule also fell victim to his deception. Suryawanshi convinced the farmer to invest in gold with the promise of doubling the returns. The farmer, trusting Suryawanshi and his family's lavish lifestyle, believed in the offer, especially as the initial repayments were assured. However, as time passed, Suryawanshi ceased payments, and he is said to have duped over 60 farmers from Dhule, Nashik, Jalgaon, and other districts in a similar manner. Suryawanshi also victimized two women from Thane. He promised one woman gold at a discounted price and told the other he would sell her gold at a higher price than market value. Both women were left devastated. Furthermore, he defrauded several married women under the pretense of marriage, promising to accept their children as well. He met these women on Facebook, gaining their trust before taking large sums of money. It was an alert investor, Satyanand Gaitonde, who tipped off the authorities. Suryawanshi duped him and his family out of about Rs 60-70 lakh. Gaitonde, who was based in Dahisar, Mumbai, met Suryawanshi in 2013 on a film set, and was later contacted on Facebook and WhatsApp. He put his trust in Suryawanshi, who persuaded him to invest in a gold business he claimed to have set up. Between 2018 and 2019, Gaitonde invested Rs 15.62 lakh, with his family members contributing as well. Upon realizing he had been scammed, Gaitonde unsuccessfully tried contacting Suryawanshi and eventually filed a police report. Gaitonde is calling for strict legal action against Suryawanshi and encourages other victims to come forward so that such frauds don't continue. for 10 seconds
A 28-year-old woman from Baner, Pune, handed over Rs 42.80 lakh to the fraudster in January 2018. However, he returned only Rs 17.59 lakh, and after July 2018, he stopped making any repayments. He later fled to Dubai and, after spending three years there, arrived in Goa on March 6 this year. Upon arrival at Goa Airport, the police arrested him and subsequently transferred him to the Mumbai police for further investigation.
A farmer from Dhule also fell prey to his deceit. The suspect duped the farmer of five tolas of gold by promising double profits on the investment. The farmer explained that Mukesh and his family had a high-profile image and lived an extravagant lifestyle, which easily won over the trust of many. Initially, the fraudster made assured repayments for three months, but then the payments ceased. In total, Suryawanshi is said to have duped around 60 farmers from Dhule, Nashik, Jalgaon, and other districts.
In addition, Suryawanshi cheated two women from Thane district. He told one woman that he could procure gold for them at a price lower than the market value. Similarly, in 2013, he convinced another woman that he would help her sell her gold at a price higher than the market rate. Both women ended up being left high and dry. Moreover, the conman also deceived several married women by falsely promising marriage and accepting them along with their children. He extracted lakhs of rupees from these women by targeting them on Facebook, particularly those from Pune and Ahmedabad.
Suryawanshi was eventually apprehended due to an alert complainant, Satyanand Gaitonde, who works as an agent with the National Security Service Canada. According to Gaitonde, Suryawanshi duped him and his family members of approximately Rs 60 lakh to Rs 70 lakh. Gaitonde, who owns a flat in the Dahisar area of Mumbai and visits the city occasionally, first met Suryawanshi in 2013 on a film set. Later, Suryawanshi contacted him through Facebook and WhatsApp, gained his confidence, and persuaded him to invest in gold by claiming he had started a company. During 2018-19, Gaitonde invested Rs 15.62 lakh, and his family also contributed. When Gaitonde realized that he had been duped, he tried to reach out to Suryawanshi, but received no response. Consequently, he lodged a complaint with the police. Gaitonde now calls for strict action against the fraudster and urges others to come forward with their complaints so that another conman like Suryawanshi does not emerge.
