Surat Brothers Booked in Ahmedabad After Security Cheques Bounce in Alleged Fraud Worth ₹30 Lakh

A 38-year-old flower trader from Ahmedabad has lodged a formal complaint against two Surat-based brothers for allegedly defrauding him of ₹30 lakh under the pretext of funding a family wedding.

Rizwan Mohammad Rafiq Patel, a resident of Isanpur who operates a business at the Jamalpur Flower Bazaar, filed the case with the Ahmedabad Crime Branch on September 18. According to the police complaint, the accused—Siddiqbhai Usmanbhai Sodawala and Zubair Usmanbhai Sodawala—borrowed the funds in October 2023, issued security cheques that repeatedly bounced, and systematically delayed repayment until legal deadlines lapsed.

Social Media Connection Built False Trust

Patel met the duo on Facebook roughly five years ago. The brothers, who claimed to handle real estate transactions in Surat, initially borrowed smaller sums ranging between ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh. Because they promptly repaid those early loans, Patel established a degree of financial trust with them.

In October 2023, the brothers approached Patel requesting ₹30 lakh in financial assistance, citing the upcoming wedding of Zubair’s daughter, Aiman. Siddiqbhai promised that the full amount would be returned within a single year.

When the brothers initially requested the loan in physical cash, Patel refused and insisted on executing the transaction strictly through verified banking channels.

Paper Trails and RTGS Transfers

To bypass alleged personal income tax complications, the brothers instructed Patel to route the funds into third-party accounts associated with them.

Before releasing the money, Patel secured a formal promissory note executed on October 20, 2023. The transaction records detailed in the police investigation reveal:

• October 21, 2023: An RTGS transfer of ₹3.10 lakh sent to an account registered under A Nish Hasmani.
• October 27, 2023: An RTGS transfer of ₹20 lakh dispatched to an entity named Groom Traders.
• Security Provision: The brothers handed over three State Bank of India cheques worth ₹10 lakh each as financial collateral.

Repeated Cheque Bounces Lead to Crime Branch Probe

When the agreed one-year repayment window closed in October 2024, Patel requested his funds. The brothers stalled for months, eventually directing him to deposit the three security cheques in September 2025.

All three instruments were promptly dishonoured by the bank due to insufficient funds. When confronted, the brothers begged for a two-month extension, instructing Patel to re-present the cheques in November. The cheques bounced a second time upon re-submission.

Patel told investigators that the brothers continued making false assurances to deliberately drag out the timeline and dodge proceedings under the Negotiable Instruments Act. Realising the money would not be returned voluntarily, he approached the Crime Branch.

Law enforcement officials have formally registered the case and initiated a full investigation into the bank transfer records, the promissory note, dishonoured cheques, and call logs between the involved parties.