Two arrested from Rajasthan for defrauding Mumbai-based chemical businessman of ₹17.65 lakh

Mumbai police arrested two people in Rajasthan on Wednesday (August 26, 2026), for allegedly cheating a Mumbai-based chemical manufacturer of ₹17.65 lakh by sending fake payment screenshots. The arrests followed an eight-day operation in Rajasthan during which police tracked the main accused across multiple locations.A complaint was registered at MHB Colony Police Station under Sections 316(2), 336(2), 318(4), 340(2), 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.According to Sandip Ghuge, DCP Zone 11, the complainant Nirmit Sanjay Ajmera (32), who runs a chemical business company called Premier Solvents said that he “received an order via WhatsApp for ethyl acetate, a chemical commonly used in wood polish. The accused gained his trust through a fake visiting card and letterhead for a company called ‘Shree Ramdev Industries’ using a fake Aadhaar card and PAN card. After placing the order, the accused allegedly sent Ajmera a fake payment screenshot and a Unique Transaction Reference (UTR) number, despite not making any payment. He made four to five such orders before the complainant realised that he had not received any payment,” Mr. Ghuge said.The total value of the chemicals allegedly supplied without payment was ₹17.65 lakh.The MHB Police crime branch traced the fake SIM to Rajasthan and travelled there to investigate further. With assistance from the Jodhpur East Deputy Commissioner of Police’s office and the Jodhpur Cyber Team, police traced the fake and personal mobile numbers allegedly used in the crime and identified the main accused as Lalit Kumar Bishnoi.Police said Mr. Bishnoi frequently changed his location. Based on mobile-phone information, a photograph of the accused and information from informants, the police traced him to Plot No. 25 P, Kamala Nagar, Gokulji Ki Pyau, Mandore, Jodhpur, Rajasthan.Police said the team tracked Mr. Bishnoi day and night for eight days before laying a trap and arresting him at Mandore Police Station. During questioning, police said Mr. Bishnoi admitted to his involvement in the alleged fraud and disclosed the involvement of his accomplice, Vikas Bishnoi (19), who was subsequently arrested.Section 3(5) of the BNS, which relates to acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention, was added after police established the alleged involvement of both accused, police said.Further questioning of the accused revealed that they had allegedly committed similar crimes previously in theSstates of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana, and that the accused were allegedly conspiring to buy another fake SIM card, create a fake Aadhaar card and PAN card in the name of Sonu Kumar Prajapat and create a fake company named 'Shyam Industries'.The accused were allegedly in talks to contact 39 chemical companies in other States to place orders, for which information is being gathered. Further investigation is underway to identify the companies contacted and determine whether other businesses were defrauded. Published - August 29, 2026 11:20 am IST