Pune: In a case of alleged fraud, a Bengaluru-based onion trader was duped of ₹5.10 lakh by a merchant in Pune’s Market Yard. The trader, who transferred the amount for a consignment of onions, discovered that the promised shipment never arrived.

The complainant, Shashikumar T. Vaidhyalingam Pillai (46), a resident of Ravindranagar, Bengaluru, contacted Dhananjay Khushalchand Bora in Pune for purchasing onions.

Bora claimed to own a stall in the Market Yard wholesale market and agreed to sell 25 tons of onions for ₹5 lakh. Shashikumar transferred the amount as agreed.

On November 2, Bora informed Shashikumar that the onions had been dispatched via truck to Bengaluru. However, when the shipment did not arrive, Bora alleged that the truck had broken down and requested ₹10,000 to be transferred to the truck owner’s account for repairs. Shashikumar complied, but the onions still did not reach him.

When Shashikumar contacted Bora for clarification, the merchant gave evasive responses, raising suspicion. Realizing he had been defrauded, Shashikumar approached the Market Yard police station and lodged a complaint.

The Market Yard police, under the leadership of Crime Branch Inspector Rahul Kumar Khilare, have registered a case against Dhananjay Bora and initiated an investigation.