Pune: A customer was defrauded of ₹17 lakh after being enticed into a fraudulent land purchase scheme offering easy installments. The Hadapsar Police have registered a case of financial fraud against two individuals involved in the scam.

The accused, Amit Laxman Shendge (30) of Malwadi, Hadapsar, and Vaibhav Pandurang Taware (33) of Wadgaon Sheri, are associated with Shri Balaji Developers, a land sale and purchase firm.

They advertised on social media, promising attractive deals such as 11 gunthas of land for ₹8 lakh and 40 gunthas for ₹25 lakh, along with a free farmhouse, located 50 kilometers from Pune. The scheme also included easy installment options and waived purchase agreement costs.

Munir Nasir Syed (41) of Keshavnagar, Mundhwa, filed the complaint after falling victim to the scam. Drawn by the enticing offer, Syed visited the Balaji Developers' office in Magarpatta, where Shendge and Tawre convinced him to purchase 22 gunthas of land in Murti village. Syed deposited ₹17 lakh into the company's bank account in July 2022 as part of the initial transaction phase.

However, the promised purchase agreement was never completed, prompting Syed to realize the fraud and report it to the police. The authorities are now investigating the case to bring the culprits to justice and recover the defrauded amount.