Dombivli | September 9, 2026
A Dombivli auto-rickshaw driver has alleged that an intermediary defrauded him of ₹8.44 lakh during arrangements to purchase a vehicle through a loan, prompting a complaint at Ramnagar police station and the registration of a case against the accused.
The complainant, identified as 54-year-old Sunil Daji Labde, lives in the Nemade Galli area of Old Dombivli in Dombivli West, according to the complaint reported by Loksatta. Police have registered a case against Sandeep Ardekar in connection with the allegations.
Labde told police that he had enrolled for driving training at the Om Maruti Training Institute in Dombivli last year. During the training, he became acquainted with Ashok Devkar, who subsequently introduced him to Ardekar. The complaint states that Ardekar offered to arrange a vehicle priced at ₹13.85 lakh.
According to the complaint, Ardekar asked Labde to pay ₹3.85 lakh in cash as an initial amount and said the balance would be arranged through a vehicle loan. He allegedly promised to hand over the vehicle within a month. Labde then gave Ardekar the stated cash amount.
The vehicle was not handed over after a month, the complaint alleges. Ardekar then suggested that Labde purchase a vehicle from another company and allegedly sought a further payment of ₹2.5 lakh for that arrangement. The remaining ₹6.5 lakh was to be paid from the loan amount, according to the complaint.
Labde’s complaint further states that he was subsequently given possession of a vehicle, but that the intermediary deducted a commission from the loan amount. The report identifies the total alleged loss in the case as ₹8.44 lakh. The available account does not provide details of the vehicle’s make, the lender, the financing documents or the specific sections invoked by police.
The case follows a transaction in which the complainant said he relied on intermediaries connected through a driving-training institute to arrange a commercial vehicle. The police complaint is the basis of the allegations, and the report does not establish the accused’s response or the status of any investigation beyond the registration of the case.
Ramnagar police will handle the investigation and determine the next steps in the case. Further details about the loan documentation, vehicle transaction and the alleged commission were not available in the report.
