Trickster selling fake loan forms nabbed in Ahmedabad

Ellisbridge police on Monday nabbed a trickster for allegedly cheating people by selling fake forms for government loans. The alleged cheat used to charge Rs250 per form and had been running his 'business' for last four months.

The alleged fraudster Hemang Mahedaria, a resident of Tapobhoomi Society, Narol was nabbed from Fatehpura area of Paldi on Sunday evening after residents of the area doubted his claim about loans and informed Ellisbridge police.

"Hemang told the locals that he was selling forms of state government's special loan for handicraft workers of urban Gujarat. He charged Rs250 per form and assured them of Rs50,000 loan, of which Rs25,000 would be subsidy," police said.
After receiving the call, police reached the place in Fatehpura in no time and questioned Hemang, who told the cops that he was a vernacular journalist.

To verify Hemang's identity, police contacted the editor of the newspaper he had claimed he was working with. The editor, however, said Hemang was a journalist and told the police that he used to work in the newspaper office merely as an office assistant and had left that job four months back.

On further interrogation, police came to know that Hemang and his wife Pravina Mahedaria had started this activity four months ago.

On the basis of a complaint by one Renuka Sonwane, a Fatehpur resident, police arrested Hemang and registered a case of cheating against him. Ellisbridge police are also inquiring into possible role of Hemang's wife in the illegal activity.