Man dupes friend of ₹15 lakh on pretext of business partnership

A man has been booked by the Ghatlodia police for allegedly duping a former associate of ₹15 lakh under the guise of a business partnership in a shop. The accused, Jitendra Babulal Prajapati, reportedly developed a friendship with the complainant and fraudulently obtained the funds in 2018 by promising returns that were never delivered.

According to police, the victim, identified as Mukesh Govindbhai Chaudhary, a resident of Ghatlodia, stated in his complaint that the accused had earlier gained the trust of Chaudhary’s brother-in-law Bharatbhai through routine business dealings. Prajapati, who was engaged in the vegetable trade, persuaded the complainant that he was acquiring a shop in a new housing and commercial project in the Paldi area and sought financial help.

On July 18, 2018, Chaudhary, along with his brother-in-law and another acquaintance, Rajubhai Baria, handed over a cheque of ₹15 lakh to Prajapati at Shastri Nagar three roads. The amount was drawn from Chaudhary’s Bank of India account and credited to Prajapati’s firm's ICICI Bank account under the name Kinsh Agrowave. In return, Prajapati issued post-dated cheques and executed a notary agreement promising repayment within six months.

However, according to the complaint, Prajapati failed to honour the commitment. After repeated follow-ups, he issued a fresh cheque from his Bank of Baroda account in February 2022, claiming the earlier ones were void. This cheque too bounced when deposited in March 2022, with the bank citing that the account had been closed.

Chaudhary alleges that despite being given ample time, including a grace period during the Covid-19 pandemic, Prajapati neither returned the money nor responded to communications. When the cheque issued to him was returned in March 2025 with a remark that the account was closed, Chaudhary approached the police.

On Thursday, a FIR was lodged at Ghatlodia police station in the matter, and Prajapati has been booked under relevant sections of cheating and breach of trust for taking ₹15 lakh under false pretences and failing to return the sum despite multiple assurances.