Pune: A resident of Pimple Gurav, Pune, was defrauded of ₹12.5 lakh by a man who promised to help him receive long-pending compensation for government-acquired land.

The victim, Vijay Wagh (45), filed a complaint at the Vishrantwadi Police Station, leading to a case being registered against Dharmapal Manohar Lanjewar (50) and his wife Priti Dharmapal Lanjewar (45), both from Nagpur.

The case traces back to a portion of ancestral land owned by Wagh’s late father-in-law, Dagdu Ghogare, which was acquired by the government for the construction of a lake.

Despite several attempts to secure compensation, Ghogare died without receiving any payment. After his passing, Wagh’s brother-in-law, Balwant Ghogare, suggested seeking help from someone with government connections. In 2021, they were introduced to Dharmapal Lanjewar through mutual acquaintances.

Lanjewar claimed to have strong ties with Chief Secretary Nitin Kareer and promised to resolve the compensation issue within two months. However, he demanded large sums of money in advance, which Wagh paid in installments, totaling ₹12.45 lakh, including ₹6 lakh handed over in December 2023.

Despite these payments, the compensation issue remained unresolved for over a year. When Wagh demanded his money back, Lanjewar provided reassurances but never refunded the amount.

Eventually, he issued a cheque for ₹12 lakh, which bounced due to insufficient funds. After multiple attempts to contact Lanjewar, who had become unreachable, Wagh turned to the police for help.

Police have registered a case of fraud and are currently investigating the matter under the supervision of Police Inspector Kanchan Jadhav. Authorities are urging the public to be cautious of fraudulent claims involving government connections.