Pune, 4th July 2025: A wave of financial scams has sent shockwaves through Pune’s bustling Hinjawadi area, where quick money schemes and counterfeit currency have caught multiple victims off guard. In two separate incidents, the police uncovered a fraudulent land deal involving fake notes and a bold “double your money” trap, schemes that resemble scenes from Bollywood films but carried serious real-world consequences.
In the first case, a seemingly simple land sale turned into a nightmare for 29-year-old Prakash Adhav, a real estate agent from Bavdhan. On July 1, during a property transaction near the popular Mezza9 Restaurant in Hinjawadi Phase 1, Adhav was paid ₹7.5 lakh in cash by three men, money that soon turned out to be counterfeit.
Adhav had agreed to sell a small plot to a man named Prakash Ingale from Jalgaon. Ingale, along with his associates Chetan Ingale and Akash Dandge, handed over cash that appeared legitimate at first glance. However, the bundles had real notes only on the top and bottom, with counterfeit notes, many bearing the words “Children Bank of India”, hidden in between.
Adhav noticed the irregularity while counting the cash and promptly approached the Hinjawadi Police Station. Following his complaint, police arrested Chetan and Akash on Wednesday, while Prakash Ingale was arrested the next day in Jalgaon.
All three have been booked under Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and are in police custody until July 5. Assistant Police Inspector Somnath Panchal, who is leading the investigation, confirmed their arrests and ongoing inquiries.
Interestingly, the scam bore an uncanny resemblance to a scene from the cult Bollywood film Phir Hera Pheri, where a similar trick is played using bundles of fake currency disguised with real notes on either side. However, unlike the comic setting of the film, this incident unfolded with real victims and legal consequences.
Even as the investigation into the fake land deal was underway, police uncovered another scam, this time involving the same two accused, Chetan Ingale and Akash Dandge. The duo approached another Bavdhan-based real estate agent with an offer to turn ₹2.10 lakh into ₹7 lakh overnight. The unbelievable promise raised the agent’s suspicions, and he informed his friend, police constable Kiran Pawar.
Acting swiftly, the police laid a trap near Laxmi Chowk at around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday. When the two men arrived with a bag allegedly filled with cash, they were caught red-handed. Instead of money, the bag contained board game notes, another attempt to deceive.
They were once again booked, this time under BNS Section 318 for cheating. API Somnath Panchal, also handling this case, stated that further investigations are underway to determine if others have fallen victim to similar scams.
