– Restaurateur swindled and cheated to a tune of more than 14 lakhs
Nagpur – Haarish and Zain Rangoonwala (brothers) were put behind bars post-midnight yesterday (early hours of Morning of 19th January 2023. Later on, they were produced before the Honorable judge and presented him the charge sheet and sought PCR till 21st January, as learnt from reliable sources.
The Rangoonwala brothers were slapped with charges under IPC sections 420,387,392,504 and 506 (section 387 and 392 are imposed for cognizable and non bailable offences) as per the FIR dated 19th January at 00:40 hours at Sadar Police station.
The matter as reported by the complainant in an exclusive interview given to NT Team, was a clear case of a trusted friend turning into a swindler. The complainant revealed that he shared a very friendly relation with Haarish Rangoonwala, who used to frequent his restaurant many times in a month, and very soon they both became good friends as much as their families also began frequenting each other’s residence and developed good bonding too.
As per the FIR, the complainant was running a restaurant in Zal Compound Sadar, and the property was owned by one of his acquaintance with whom he entered into some kind of disagreement and the latter started to ask him to vacate his property to which the complainant in consultation with his lawyer filed a civil suit to ensure that his restaurant was not seized in his absence and to safe guard his investment of 17 lakh or so , which was spent by his own pocket to renovate the restaurant. And informed the owner that in order to recover the amount that he had spent to renovate he will operate the restaurant solely (without any share being given to the property owner)
To this Haarish intervened telling the complainant that he will diffuse the situation between them and would mediate to resolve the matter since his family incidentally also knew the property owner’s family and shared cordial relations and also offered the complainant an alternate place which was owned by the accused (at Bhagwaghar Square at Central Avenue) to store the furniture etc. from the restaurant till the time the complainant didn’t find any other alternate place to restart his restaurant. The complainant admitted that he fell for this trick and actually moved furniture and other assets to the accused’s suggested location which was worth nothing less than 7-8 lakhs.
Somehow the property owner and the complainant got into some sort of mutual understanding and it was agreed that the property owner will give 15 lakhs to the complainant to withdraw the civil suit first and then vacate his premises where this restaurant was running. After meeting the conditions that were laid by the property owner, The complainant called the property owner to the restaurant premises to handover the restaurant premises and to take the settlement amount of 15 lakh from the owner.
Minutes after the owner and the complainant were at the premises to complete the settlement, the accused reached there and was quite furious with the settlement pact. He started to use profane language and called on some mobile number asking some musclemen to come there.the accused kept on saying that he wont let the premises to be vacated and wouldn’t let the settlement pact go thru.As per the complainant he even picked up a brick and threatened the complainant to stop the deal and to not to vacate the premises. All this drama the accused had done started to pull in onlookers and bystanders, so at this point to avoid the drama and the gathered onlookers and bystanders, the property owner suggested that in order to settle the matter amicably and with a discussion, they should go to some other quiet place and sort out the issue.
So, the owner left the premises and the accused seated with the complainant in another vehicle then followed the property owner’s vehicle to some place in Dhantoli where he halted his vehicle behind the property owner’s vehicle. At this moment the accused citing some urgent work asked the complainant to get down from the vehicle and took off (with the complainant’s vehicle) stating that he will be back after finishing the urgent work.
Now the property owner and the complainant were face to face with each other to settle the pact. The property owner as per the mutual agreement handed rupees 14 lakhs in cash and a cheque signed for an amount of 1 lakh, which the complainant put in his pocket.
Just then out of nowhere Zain Rangoonwala arrived on a two-wheeler with another person and literally snatched the bag containing 14 lakhs (the bag was not given but was snatched by Zain, emphasized the complainant) and then sped off from the scene with his companion on the same two-wheeler on which they had arrived.
So shocked was the complainant with this sudden incident, that he couldn’t even react. He then somehow was able to locate his vehicle and then narrated the entire incident to the accused. As per the complainant the accused pacified him by stating that Zain has the money and has taken it to their house and the complainant can collect it from there once the accused and the complainant settle the accounts. When the complainant was asked as to which settlement of accounts was the accused referring to, so he replied,” all the money to transport the furniture to Bhagwaghar Square location and some charges to dismantle and cut some fittings from the restaurant was borne by the accused”.
To make the remaining story short yet containing all major points, it was further told to us that after reaching the accused’s house the complainant was asked to write a letter by the accused stating that he has received 10 lakhs to which the complainant objected but finally agreed after consulting his lawyer on the phone. The complainant further stated that a yellow bag was then given to him supposedly containing 10 lakhs outside the house where no CCTV cameras were fixed. After reaching his house he found out that the bag contained only 6 lakhs (he claimed that he didn’t count the cash at the accused’s house). he then started calling the accused’s mobile number to inform him that the cash was just 6 lakhs and not 10 lakhs. But no one picked up his calls and he assume that that his number was put in block list since even his messages weren’t being replied.
He then went to the accused’s house once again. Incidentally the accused noticed the complainant outside his residence gate and came outside and sat in his vehicle, counted the cash and admitted that indeed the cash in the yellow bag was just 6 lakhs but this time he very clearly mentioned that he has no intentions to return the 4 lakhs. They both had a heated argument in the vehicle and soon the complainant realized that arguing further will be futile considering the fact that his furniture and other appliances etc. were still stored in the accused’s property and further enraging the accused will not be beneficial for him. So, he left the accused’s place totally convinced that he has to let go the 4 lakhs too.
The complainant was greatly stressed with all that was happening and least expecting that his problems are not going to cease at this. The complainant then came to know that his furniture etc. from the restaurant are being sold piece by piece by the accused that were stored at Bhagwaghar square which distressed him greatly and he started calling the accused frantically but his calls were not going thru.
Numerous attempts to get in touch with the accused went futile and then the complainant resorted to asking his friend to mediate and ask the accused to return his furniture and appliances from the restaurant that were stored at the accused’s Bhagwaghar square property. When this friend called the accused he too was told (by the accused) to inform the complainant to not to act smart otherwise the consequences will be dire. (NT has the audio clip of the conversation, but due to the nature of the language used by the accused is very obscene and vulgar, it is not being attached here)
After hearing the telephonic conversation that happened between his mediating friend and the accused, the complainant was overwhelmed with distress and based on the suggestions by friends and relatives met the Honorable Commissioner of Police and narrated the story. The CP then promptly assigned to the DCP from where the entire matter was handled with lightning speed and thus both the accused were apprehended and put behind bars.
The complainant also hinted that though the Rangoonwala Duo is behind the bars, he still fears a threat to him or his family and that maybe he might falsely get framed as a revenge and to settle the scores.
(The above-mentioned statement are excerpts from the exclusive interview taken by NT 24×7 Special Correspondent with the complainant)
