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Thane: A case has been registered against five persons for allegedly cheating a trader from Maharashtra’s Thane district of Rs 30 lakh on the pretext of offering him a dealership of herbal liquor products, police said on Sunday, April 5.
The trader, in his complaint on Friday, alleged that the accused lured him with a promise of distributorship of products purportedly manufactured by a company called Herbal Distilleries Pvt Ltd, an official said.
According to police, the accused, Pawan Dashrath Hagavane, Sharad Rambhau Gaikwad and Mahendra Piraji Khilare, along with two others, approached the complainant between February and July 2021.
“They furnished forged documents, including a letter allegedly signed by the company’s CEO and bearing its seal, and claimed they were authorised representatives and part of the board of directors,” the official said.
The accused also displayed sample packaging and images of herbal liquor products and allegedly induced the complainant to invest money by promising dealership rights for Thane, he said.
The complainant paid Rs 30 lakh to the accused, but they did not provide any valid licence or grant the promised dealership, the official said, adding that the trader was also verbally abused and threatened.
No arrests have been made so far, and a probe is underway to trace the accused, he said.
This post was last modified on April 5, 2026 12:54 pm