Mumbai: Two years after a man duped a childless woman of Rs 9 lakh under the pretext of helping her adopt a baby, the crime branch tracked him down to Versova and arrested him recently. The accused, Sahil Shaikh‘s, custody was handed over to officers of the Samta Nagar police station who had lodged an FIR against him in 2022.
Shaikh had also misused the complainant and her husband’s documentation to apply for loans in their names, resulting in their getting hounded by creditors.
Police said Shaikh had splurged the sum and taken up a job as a security guard at Versova, where he also lived.
The 46-year-old complainant was married for 15 years, but was unable to conceive and was keen to adopt. In 2020, an acquaintance introduced her to Shaikh, who offered to help with the adoption process and paperwork.
Shaikh visited the complainant and her husband with forms related to the adoption process. He took their signatures and shot photographs, besides collecting their Pan card and Aadhaar card copies.
The complainant transferred some money to Shaikh. He showed the couple a photo of a young girl “from a Navi Mumbai ashram” and promised to get the formalities done. For two months, there was no word from him. Later he claimed the child had succumbed to Covid-19.
Shaikh then offered to approach another ashram to help the couple adopt. But he wouldn’t take the couple on visits to any ashram. He showed them photos of another girl and the couple felt hopeful again. This time, he claimed the child died of Aids. The couple asked him to return their money, but in vain.
The same year, the couple got calls from a firm asking them to repay a loan of Rs 6000 that they had availed. The couple clarified they had never taken a loan from anyone.
Next, Shaikh came with an offer of helping them adopt a girl from Borivali. He claimed to have found a child who had inherited property from her grandmother who was too old to look after her. With every offer, he would demand more money for getting documents registered and other formalities. The couple paid Rs 9.14 lakh totally, mortgaging the complainant’s ornaments to raise funds.
In August 2022, the complainant got phone calls from another company demanding repayment of an automobile loan of Rs 80000. After inquiries with Shaikh, she figured out that he was taking loans in her name, misusing her ID proof and photos that he had collected for the adoption process. She kept getting notices for loan repayment and finally lodged a complaint with Samta Nagar police on November 30, 2022. Shaikh was on the run since.
Shaikh had also misused the complainant and her husband’s documentation to apply for loans in their names, resulting in their getting hounded by creditors.
Police said Shaikh had splurged the sum and taken up a job as a security guard at Versova, where he also lived.
The 46-year-old complainant was married for 15 years, but was unable to conceive and was keen to adopt. In 2020, an acquaintance introduced her to Shaikh, who offered to help with the adoption process and paperwork.
Shaikh visited the complainant and her husband with forms related to the adoption process. He took their signatures and shot photographs, besides collecting their Pan card and Aadhaar card copies.
The complainant transferred some money to Shaikh. He showed the couple a photo of a young girl “from a Navi Mumbai ashram” and promised to get the formalities done. For two months, there was no word from him. Later he claimed the child had succumbed to Covid-19.
Shaikh then offered to approach another ashram to help the couple adopt. But he wouldn’t take the couple on visits to any ashram. He showed them photos of another girl and the couple felt hopeful again. This time, he claimed the child died of Aids. The couple asked him to return their money, but in vain.
The same year, the couple got calls from a firm asking them to repay a loan of Rs 6000 that they had availed. The couple clarified they had never taken a loan from anyone.
Next, Shaikh came with an offer of helping them adopt a girl from Borivali. He claimed to have found a child who had inherited property from her grandmother who was too old to look after her. With every offer, he would demand more money for getting documents registered and other formalities. The couple paid Rs 9.14 lakh totally, mortgaging the complainant’s ornaments to raise funds.
In August 2022, the complainant got phone calls from another company demanding repayment of an automobile loan of Rs 80000. After inquiries with Shaikh, she figured out that he was taking loans in her name, misusing her ID proof and photos that he had collected for the adoption process. She kept getting notices for loan repayment and finally lodged a complaint with Samta Nagar police on November 30, 2022. Shaikh was on the run since.