A couple and their accomplice have been booked by the Navi Mumbai police for allegedly cheating a hospital in Vashi of Rs 8.25 lakh by submitting fake bills and documents.
The accused have been identified as Mandar Mukund Sabnis, his wife Varsha and their associate Prashant Shinde.
According to the police, the trio approached the hospital in February 2023 and claimed that they were running a medical equipment supply company. They offered to provide the hospital with various items such as masks, gloves, syringes, etc. at discounted rates. The hospital agreed to place orders with them and paid them Rs 8.25 lakh in advance.
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However, the accused never delivered the goods and instead submitted fake bills and documents to the hospital. They also gave false assurances to the hospital staff that they would deliver the items soon. When the hospital realised that they had been duped, they lodged a complaint with the Vashi police station.
The police have registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 34 (common intention) against the accused and launched a manhunt to nab them. The police suspect that the accused may have cheated other hospitals and medical institutions in a similar manner.