Pune: A case of fraud amounting to ₹25 lakh in an apartment purchase deal has come to light, following which Sinhagad Road Police have registered a case.
The accused in this case have been identified as Nitin Sudhakar Sonawane, Mahadev Manikrao Giram, and Dattatray Bhaguj Hingne. A complaint was filed by Ashok Namdev Kumbhar (60, resident of Anandnagar, Sinhagad Road, Pune) at Sinhagad Road Police Station.
According to police reports, the incident occurred between July 10, 2023, and March 25, 2025. The complainant, Kumbhar, was looking to purchase an apartment and had approached his acquaintance, real estate agent Nitin Sudhakar Sonawane, for assistance. Sonawane, along with Mahadev Manikrao Giram, introduced Kumbhar to Dattatray Bhaguj Hingne, claiming that Hingne was selling an apartment near Navale Bridge in Vadgaon Budruk.
Kumbhar was shown the apartment and informed that the price was ₹1.5 crore. They finalized the deal, and Kumbhar paid ₹25 lakh upfront. However, neither the real estate agent nor Hingne completed the sale. It later came to light that the apartment had been sold to someone else. Furthermore, the complainant was not refunded his money, leading to the fraud complaint.
Upon receiving information about the incident, Senior Police Inspector Dilip Daingude, Crime Inspector Uttam Bhajanawale, and Sub-Inspector Suresh Jaybhay from Sinhagad Road Police Station visited the site. Sub-Inspector Jaybhay is leading the further investigation into the case.
