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Mumbai: Bandra-Based Businesswoman Alleges ₹65.40 Lakh Cheating In Chemical Supply Scam, FIR Filed At LT Marg Police Station

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Mumbai: A Bandra-based businesswoman has alleged that she was cheated of ₹65.40 lakh in a fraudulent chemical supply deal involving an Ahmedabad-based intermediary and a Vadodara firm. An FIR has been registered against Damnik Rathod, Arvind Ahuja, Hasmukhbhai Shah and Sachin Rajeshirke at the LT Marg Police Station.

The complainant, Nita Abhinav Upadhyay (43), a resident of Bandra (West), is a partner in A.N.N. Finechem LLP, a firm registered in 2024 with the Registrar of Companies (RoC).

The firm deals in the purchase and sale of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), sourcing chemicals from various Indian companies and supplying them to other firms through agents on a 30–90 day payment cycle.

According to the complaint, in July 2025, Punit Prajapati from Ahmedabad contacted Upadhyay regarding the availability of the chemical Pregabalin on behalf of one Dr Manik Rathod. Subsequently, Rathod directly contacted her and placed an order for 3 tonnes of Pregabalin worth ₹95.40 lakh, agreeing to pay 50% advance and the balance within 30 days of delivery.

On July 30, 2025, a purchase order was received from Agaman Chemicals Pvt Ltd, Vadodara, but since the agreed advance payment was not received, the goods were not dispatched.

Later, Rathod informed Upadhyay that due to his company’s bank account being frozen, the payment would instead be made by another firm, Alakhat Business Solutions Pvt Ltd, Vadodara. Initially, Upadhyay refused, citing irregularity in receiving payment from a different company than the one issuing the purchase order. Rathod then cancelled the earlier order and facilitated direct dealings with Alakhat Business Solutions Pvt Ltd.

On August 18, 2025, Alakhat Business Solutions Pvt Ltd placed an order for 1 tonne of Pregabalin worth ₹31.80 lakh, agreeing to pay 50% advance and the remaining amount via post-dated cheque (PDC) within 15 days.

An advance of ₹15.90 lakh was credited via RTGS to A.N.N. Finechem LLP’s HDFC Bank account on August 19, 2025. Trusting the transaction, the complainant procured the material from SBD Healthcare, Bharuch, and handed over the consignment to the company’s vehicle.

Subsequently, further RTGS payments of ₹15.90 lakh each were made on September 1, 8 and 12, 2025, along with ₹30 lakh on September 16, 2025, against additional orders.

Each time, Upadhyay purchased the required material from suppliers including SBD Healthcare (Bharuch), GGC Vadodara and Apex Pharma (Bharuch), making full payments before dispatching the goods.

However, when the first post-dated cheque dated September 21, 2025, was deposited, it was returned with the remark “Account Closed and Insufficient Balance.” Upon confronting Arvind Ahuja, identified as the manager of Alakhat Business Solutions Pvt Ltd, she was repeatedly assured that payment issues were being resolved. Bank officials reportedly informed her that attempts to contact the company’s director, Hasmukhbhai Natwarbhai Shah, were unsuccessful.

Further inquiries revealed that another director, Sachin Rajeshirke, was unavailable due to a family bereavement. Despite repeated follow-ups through calls and emails, no payments were made. When Upadhyay verified the company’s addresses in Vadodara and Roorkee, she allegedly found that no such operational offices existed.

On October 13, 2025, the company emailed stating that payment was delayed due to a “government audit” and technical issues, promising clearance after Diwali. However, no payment was received thereafter.

In October 2025, Upadhyay met Dr Manik Rathod in Vadodara to seek clarification. Rathod allegedly denied responsibility. Later, in January 2026, she received a message through Prajapati that if she paid ₹5 lakh, Rathod would provide updated contact details and the new office address of Alakhat Business Solutions Pvt Ltd.

The complainant stated that this strengthened her suspicion that Rathod, along with Arvind Ahuja and directors Hasmukhbhai Shah and Sachin Rajeshirke, had conspired to cheat her firm.

According to the complaint, goods worth ₹1.59 crore were supplied to the accused company. While ₹93.60 lakh was received through RTGS, the remaining ₹65.40 lakh remains unpaid.

Alleging criminal conspiracy and cheating, Upadhyay has filed a complaint against the accused. Based on her statement, an FIR has been registered at the LT Marg Police Station, and further investigation is underway.

Crime

Man hacked to death by bike-borne men at traffic signal in Bengaluru

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Bengaluru, Aug 23: An incident in which a man was hacked to death in full public view at a traffic signal near the Madiwala underpass came to light on Sunday, raising fresh concerns over the safety of residents in Bengaluru.

The victim, identified as Suhail, a resident of Mangammanapalya and a medical shop owner, was attacked by a group of assailants as he was on his way from Madiwala towards Koramangala on Saturday night.

The incident occurred late at night when Suhail had stopped his motorcycle amid a traffic jam on the main road. Four men who arrived on two motorcycles allegedly attacked him with swords before fleeing the spot. Suhail suffered severe blood loss and died at the scene.

Police suspect that the murder could be an act of revenge linked to an earlier murder case in Bandepalya.

On January 13, a man named Shabbir was murdered in Bandepalya, and Suhail’s brothers Kaleem, Nazir and another brother were allegedly involved in that case. Investigators suspect that Suhail may have been targeted in retaliation, despite having no connection with the Shabbir murder case.

Police sources said Suhail had no criminal background and was not an accused in the earlier case. His murder is therefore suspected to have been driven by hostility towards his brothers.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East) Mohammad Sujeetha, CCB DCP Haribabu and Joint Commissioner of Police Ramesh Banoth visited the crime scene and inspected the spot.

Following the murder, Suhail’s younger brother Nazir reportedly arrived at the scene and vowed revenge. He said Suhail was not merely his elder brother but was like a father to him, and warned that he would not spare those responsible for his killing.

Police suspect that the assailants had been planning the murder for several days and had been closely monitoring Suhail’s movements. According to preliminary information, the attackers allegedly followed him and executed a pre-planned attack while he was travelling on his motorcycle.

After the murder, the assailants reportedly abandoned the weapons at the scene and escaped.

Three special teams have been formed to track down the suspects. Police have seized the CCTV DVR from the area and are examining footage to identify the attackers and trace their movements before and after the crime.

Investigators are also trying to establish why Suhail, who lived in Mangammanapalya and operated a medical shop in Bommanahalli, travelled towards Madiwala. Police are examining who last contacted him before he left the medical shop and other details surrounding his movements.

The brazen murder in a busy public area has triggered concerns over safety in the city, particularly as the attackers allegedly assaulted the victim in front of members of the public before fleeing the scene. Police are continuing their investigation to establish the exact motive and identify all those involved.

When asked whether any accused have been arrested in connection with the case, DCP South East Mohammad Sujeetha declined to comment. Further investigation is on.

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Crime

Shillong violence: Army, RAF conduct flag march as Assam-Meghalaya tensions persist

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Shillong, Aug 23: Security was intensified across Shillong as the Army and Rapid Action Force (RAF) conducted a flag march in the Meghalaya capital following violence during a Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) rally on August 19, officials said.

The security buildup came on Saturday amid heightened tensions after vehicles carrying tourists from Assam were allegedly attacked during a KSU black-flag protest.

Several vehicles were vandalised, with their windows and windshields smashed, while some tourists were reportedly injured.

Public property was also damaged during the violence.

The Centre has approved the deployment of five companies of central armed forces in Meghalaya to assist the state police in maintaining law and order amid the prevailing situation.

Meanwhile, Assam Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora and Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar held a high-level meeting with senior officials of both states in Guwahati on Saturday to assess the situation and discuss steps to prevent further escalation.

The meeting came against the backdrop of tensions following the Shillong violence and protests at Jorabat, the key entry point between Assam and Meghalaya.

Bora termed the Shillong incident “unwarranted and unfortunate” and said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had acted promptly after the violence.

He said Assam CM Sarma spoke to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who subsequently asked Dhar to engage with Assam and explore measures to restore peace and ensure smooth movement between the neighbouring states.

Bora appealed to the people in both states to maintain peace and harmony, stressing the longstanding ties between Assam and Meghalaya.

The Shillong incident triggered protests by motor vehicle workers’ unions in Assam.

Demonstrations at Jorabat began the following day, with protesters stopping Meghalaya-registered vehicles from entering Assam and, in some cases, forcing them to turn back.

The protests continued for a third day on Friday, with demonstrators seeking compensation for vehicles damaged in Shillong and an apology from the authorities.

Heavy deployment of police and reserve personnel was made at Jorabat to prevent any fresh violence.

Three senior KSU office-bearers — president Raymond Kharjana, vice president Pynkmenlang Sanmiet and general secretary Reuben Najiar — were arrested late Wednesday in connection with the violence.

The situation has also prompted sharper reactions in Assam.

The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) called for an economic blockade and warned of action against Meghalaya residents in Assam if attacks on Assamese people in Shillong continued.

With additional security forces deployed in Shillong and police maintaining a strong presence at Jorabat, authorities in both states are now working to contain tensions, prevent retaliatory incidents and ensure uninterrupted movement of people and vehicles.

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Crime

Delhi Police arrest three in illicit liquor supply case

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New Delhi, Aug 22: In a major crackdown on the illegal transportation and supply of liquor, the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) team of the North-East District of Delhi Police arrested three persons and recovered 778 quarters of Haryana-marked illicit liquor along with two taxis allegedly used to transport the consignment.

The action was carried out on August 21, 2026, after Head Constable Deepak, along with Head Constable Anuj and Constable Mukesh, was conducting area patrolling duty near Maujpur Chowk.

At around 6:30 a.m., the police team received information from a secret informer that two taxis carrying illicit liquor from Haryana would arrive near Seelampur Metro Station. The taxis’ numbers were also shared by the informer.

Acting on the information, the police team reached the location. At around 7:30 a.m., both taxis arrived and were intercepted. Three persons were apprehended, while another individual reportedly managed to flee from the spot.

A search of the vehicles led to the recovery of 399 quarters of illicit liquor from taxi HR55AX3345 and 379 quarters from taxi DL1ZD5015, taking the total recovery to 778 quarters.

The arrested accused have been identified as Vinit Chauhan (35), owner of taxi bearing number — HR55AX3345; Akash Sharma (25), driver of taxi bearing number — DL1ZD5015; and Vishal (23), who was allegedly accompanying the other accused.

During interrogation, the accused reportedly disclosed information about the source of the illicit liquor. Police are verifying the information and conducting further investigation to identify other individuals allegedly involved in the supply chain.

A case has been registered as FIR No. 288/26 under Section 33 of the Delhi Excise Act at Seelampur Police Station. Police said none of the three arrested accused has any previous criminal involvement on record. Further investigation is underway, according to police.

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