FPJ Cyber Secure: Swindler Dupes Woman, Her Friends Of ₹2.72 Lakh Under False Promise Of Ind-Pak Match Tickets

Mumbai: A con artist defrauded a woman and her friends of ₹2.72 lakh, promising to provide them tickets for the India-Pakistan match in the World Cup cricket tournament scheduled for October 14. The woman filed a case under section 420 of the IPC Act at Santa Nagar police station on October 13.

According to the FIR, Dr. Nikita Gadda (32), a lecturer in a popular private medical coaching institute in Pune, contacted the accused, Bhavdeep Shah, a resident of Kandivali East, through some acquaintances. Dr. Gadda, who teaches students preparing for the NEET exam, intended to watch the match live in Ahmedabad on Saturday with her friends.

Woman came in contact through acquaintance

When she contacted the accused on September 5, he assured her that he could arrange the tickets, with each ticket priced at ₹25,000. After negotiations, they settled on ₹15,000 per ticket. The victim received a soft copy of three tickets, which seemed authentic. She then asked her friends if they were interested in purchasing tickets for the match. Five more people paid the money and purchased tickets.

Later, the accused demanded additional money from the woman, citing courier charges for the tickets and fabricated taxes. When the tickets did not arrive as promised, the woman approached the fraudster, who demanded more money, claiming that prices had risen. Reluctantly, she paid more, only to realize later that she had been scammed. The victim then reported the incident to the police and filed a complaint.