Navi Mumbai doctor duped of Rs 21 lakh in loan fraud

Thane: A Navi-Mumbai-based doctor allegedly fell victim to a loan fraud and was defrauded of Rs 21 lakh by a finance firm owner, who promised to facilitate a loan of Rs 3 crore but furnished forged documents, police said on Saturday.

A case has been registered under sections 318(4) (cheating), 336(2), and 336(3) (forgery) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Chetan Panchal, the proprietor of a finance firm based in Mumbai, an official said.

He said the doctor had been seeking a substantial loan when he came in contact with Panchal, who claimed he could secure a loan of Rs 3 crore for him from multiple banks.

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According to the PTI news report, the doctor agreed to pay a commission for the service and gave the accused Rs 21 lakh, he said, adding that the offence took place over the last few years.

“The accused shared a loan sanction letter supposedly issued by a reputed bank. However, upon verification, the complainant later found that the document was fabricated,” the officer said.

According to the police, Panchal had already collected Rs 21 lakh as commission by the time the doctor realised he had been cheated.

He said the investigation is ongoing, and efforts are on to trace and apprehend the accused.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that a city-based doctor was rescued by the Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing after falling victim to an elaborate ‘digital arrest’ scam, in which international cyber fraudsters extorted ₹2.9 crore from him. The rescue was confirmed in a released official statement.

The scam came to light during routine cyber surveillance by the State Cyber Command Centre, led by Superintendent of Police Shahnaz Illyas. The team detected suspicious activity involving two individuals — one in Tamil Nadu and another in Jharkhand. While Jharkhand Police were alerted immediately, a cybercrime team in Tamil Nadu rushed to the doctor’s residence.

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