Pune, 7th November 2025: A Pune-based couple was allegedly duped of around ₹14 crore on the promise of curing their daughters’ illness. The Kothrud Police registered a case late Thursday night (November 6) following a complaint by engineer Deepak Dolas.
Dolas, originally from Pune and formerly working in the IT sector in England, returned to India in 2010 to seek treatment for his two daughters. In 2018, he met one of the accused, Deepak Khadke, through a devotional group. Khadke later introduced him and his wife to a woman named Vedika Pandharpurkar.
Pandharpurkar reportedly gained the couple’s trust and collected personal details about them. She then allegedly told them that their daughters’ illness was caused by their wealth and that selling their assets would help cure them.
Convinced, the couple sold a duplex house in England, a farmhouse, and agricultural land in Konkan and Saswad, transferring about ₹14 crore to her bank accounts. However, there was no improvement in their daughters’ condition. The accused also allegedly pressured them to sell another property.
According to the complaint, the couple later realised that they had been cheated and demanded their money back. Their lawyer, Advocate Vijay Singh Thombre, said they will continue their fight until the entire amount is recovered.
The couple had also approached the Police Commissioner’s Office. Taking note of the seriousness of the matter, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar directed that the case be registered without delay. Following this, the Economic Offences Wing recorded the couple’s statement on Thursday afternoon and the FIR was lodged at Kothrud Police Station later that night.
DCP Sambhaji Kadam said that along with Khadke and Pandharpurkar, a few others have also been booked, and the police are verifying if more people are involved. DCP (EOW) Vivek Masaal confirmed that the complainant’s statement has been recorded and investigation is underway.
