Pune Ex-Banker Tricked With 'Amit Shah' Call By Relative, Duped Of 4 Crores

A 53-year-old retired bank employee from Pune was deceived out of Rs 4 crore by his relative who orchestrated an elaborate scheme involving fake intelligence operations.

The relative guaranteed Suryakant that all money would be promptly reimbursed.

Police reports indicate that Suryakant Thorat was approached by his relative in 2019 who claimed that his son was working for the central government's intelligence department and had successfully completed a "special mission." The relative further asserted that the government would reward them with Rs 38 crore for this work, but they needed to cover processing fees, attorney costs, and gifts for high-ranking officials.

The relative repeatedly assured Suryakant that his investment would be returned immediately after payment.

To establish credibility, the accused would call Suryakant and simulate conference calls featuring Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and other senior officials. Convinced by this deception, Suryakant transferred vast sums to various bank accounts between 2020 and 2024, even borrowing money from acquaintances to meet these demands.

"He showed me their son's ID card, revolver, and bank messages. We never doubted him. His family told us he was away for training, which is why he was never home. This made me believe it was genuine. Between January 2020 and September 2024, I transferred over Rs 4 crore to different accounts belonging to him. I sold my flats, farm, shop, car, and my wife's jewelry. When that wasn't sufficient, I used money from my Provident Fund," the victim explained.

When Suryakant requested his money back, the relative claimed his son was engaged in an "important mission abroad."

After several months, Suryakant realized the entire situation was fabricated and filed a police complaint.

"He arranged calls supposedly with Amit Shah, Ajit Doval, and other officials. They assured me on these conference calls that the reward-related work would be completed soon and told me not to worry. I later realized these officials couldn't have been on those calls. I never imagined my family members would betray me like this," he stated.

Police have registered a case against five individuals: Shubham Sanil Prabhale, Sunil Babanrao Prabhale, Omkar Sunil Prabhale, Prashant Rajendra Prabhale, and Bhagyashree Sunil Prabhale. The investigation has been transferred to the Economic Offenses Wing, according to officials.