Officials of Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) have approached police alleging that some unidentified persons, using the company’s name, took money from several people on the promise of issuing them dealerships for compressed natural gas (CNG)-petrol filling stations. The fraudsters had even opened a website, they said.
The gas distribution company lodged a complaint after its corporate office in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) received queries from people about the “letters of intent” they had purportedly received for the dealerships and had even paid money towards registration fees for approvals and no-objection certificates (NOCs).
A Navi Mumbai resident who wanted to start a CNG station on the Ahmednagar highway was cheated of ₹4.25 lakh.
“After I filled out the details on their website, I started getting calls. Initially, they told me that my application was accepted. I paid a registration fee of ₹50,000 and later transferred an additional sum of ₹2.75 lakh to get the approval of the union petroleum ministry. But they started demanding another ₹5 lakh for getting three NOCs. As the ‘executives’ were unwilling to meet in person, I was sceptical about the entire transaction. When I checked the bank account to which I had transferred money, it turned out to be in the name of one Vicky Kumar. So, I suspected foul play and approached the BKC office of Mahanagar Gas,” the 50-year-old, who did not wish to be named, told HT on Friday.
Sadguru Pawar, who works with a private firm, has always wanted to have his own CNG-petrol station at Solapur.
“After I registered on the website, I got a call from someone who said he was a sales executive with MGL, and asked me to fill out the details online. Later, I was informed that my form was accepted and I should register for the dealership by paying ₹50,000. They even sent me a ‘letter of intent’,” he said.
Pawar, however, refused to pay the fraudsters after being warned about the genuineness of the “letter of intent”. “As I knew some people in the industry, I sent the letter to them who expressed doubts over it. When I went to the corporate office [of MGL] I realised that they were fraudsters.”
Prasad Mhatre, assistant manager of security at Mahangar Gas, said, “When people started getting suspicious about the transactions, they approached us. After looking into the documents, we filed a complaint.”
Police have registered a case of cheating, impersonation, and common intention under the Indian Penal Code and under sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
“The accused have made fake documents and misused the logo of Mahanagar Gas,” Vishram Abhyankar, senior police inspector of BKC police station, said.