3 held for cheating people in the guise of selling Mahindra vehicles at cheaper price

Hyderabad: The Team-5 sleuths of Cyber Crimes PS, Hyderabad arrested three persons for cheating people in the guise of selling vehicles at a cheaper price.

The police said that the three would impersonate the general manager of Mahindra Automotive Limited and pretend to offer Mahindra vehicles at a cheaper price. After they receive money from their ‘customers’ they would flee, the police said.

The accused have been identified as Tadi Naveen Kumar (45), Kancharla Madhu (41) and Srinivas Durga Prasad (55). All three are residents of Rajahmundry.

Case details

As per police records, V Danie Ratnam, a resident of Hyderabad, approached the police stating that he received a call from a person who identified himself as GS Chandrasekhar, general manager (HR & Administration) at Mahindra CIE Automotive Limited.

Chandrashekar stated that he was a former client of complainant security services and informed Ratnam of their requirement for security services at a new factory at the Industrial Park Unit in Palamaner, Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh.

Afterwards, the complainant submitted a quotation and subsequent correspondence confirmed the complainant’s company services to commence on January 25, 2024. During the discussions, Chandrashekar said that brand-new R&D and demo vehicles are up for sale at discounted prices through the company’s annual auction. Trusting the credentials and the purported association with Mahindra, the complainant booked two Mahindra Bolero SLX vehicles by transferring Rs 3,54,236 to their account numbers from November 25 to 25.

It was assured that the vehicles would be delivered to the complainant’s premises by 5 pm on November 27. However, upon attempting to contact Chandrasekhar, his mobile number was found to be switched off. A subsequent enquiry by the complainant revealed that the bank account provided was under an individual’s name, leading the complainant to realise that they had fallen victim to a fraudulent scheme.

The accused along with their associates procured several SIM cards to contact the victims and bank accounts to receive the money. Incriminating material was seized from the possession of the accused.

The general public is advised not to believe the unreliable offers of vehicles or mobile phones at lesser prices and is advised to treat unsolicited messages circulating through social media applications with scepticism.