Mumbai Crime: Trio who duped dabbawalas in free-moped scam held

Subhash Talekar is seen in police custody on Tuesday. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

The Ghatkopar police on Tuesday said they have arrested three former office-bearers of a dabbawala association for cheating members of their own fraternity. A group of 60 dabbawalas had alleged that the trio collected their documents promising free mopeds, but later learnt that they had taken out two-wheeler loans against their names.

Subhash Talekar, one of the accused

Police arrested Mumbai Jevan Dabe Vahtuk Mandal's (MJDVM) former spokesperson Subhash Talekar on Monday, and former secretary Vitthal Sawant and former member Dashrath Kedari on Tuesday.

"The accused had gone to the sessions court, the High Court and even the Supreme court against the arrest, but they rejected his plea. Ghatkopar police on Monday received information that Talekar was hiding at Rajguru Nagar, and he was nabbed. We produced him before the court on Tuesday and secured his custody till January 9," said Inspector Pramod Kokate of Ghatkopar police station.

The dabbawalas had filed the complaint in November 2019, alleging that the trio in 2015 made them fill up a form of Bhairavnath Credit Society, APMC Market, Navi Mumbai, and collected some documents. Police registered an FIR under IPC Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) on February 4, 2020. Two vehicle dealers, Rakesh Prasad and Bhavesh Doshi, with whom the trio made a deal to supply the two-wheelers, are yet to be held.

The dabbawalas learnt about the loans in 2017 when they received bank notices for non-payment of the instalments. The notices stated that their assets worth R31,000 would be seized if they failed to pay the instalments. They then approached the three former MJDVM members who assured them of help, but never did.