Mumbai: Law student dupes man of ₹1.5 lakh by running fake villa rental racket; arrested
Maharashtra: The Vanrai police have arrested a 25-year-old law student. He is accused of running a fake villa rental racket, defrauding a Mumbai-based professional of ₹1.5 lakh.
About the Case
The case came to light when Aditya Toshniwal, 28, of Goregaon West, was organizing a company retreat and came across an advertisement for “La Rive” villas in Lonavala on social media.
Aakash Jadhawani, posing as Nishant Ahuja, shared photos, villa details, a GST number, and bank details, convincing Toshniwal to pay the full amount for a two-day booking in August. A day before the trip, Jadhawani claimed the booking had been canceled due to repair work and promised a refund within a week.
When the money wasn’t returned, and the contact number was switched off, Toshniwal investigated and found the GST number belonged to another hotel chain. Police located Jadhavni, who was already in Agripada police custody for a similar crime.
He was transferred on December 24 and is currently in judicial custody. Police said Jadhavni is a repeat offender and may be involved in 10 to 15 similar cases. They are also investigating the role of his accomplices.
