Nagpur: Once himself a victim of cheating, a 12th-pass man from Rajasthan allegedly operated a nationwide marble supply scam that targeted businessmen dealing in high-quality tiles. City police crime branch arrested the accused, Sandeep Mahendra Dan Charan, 29 , a resident of Churu district of Rajasthan, from his native place after a week-long operation.Investigations revealed that Charan is a habitual offender wanted in multiple cases across states. Apart from Nagpur, he faces charges in a cyber police station case in Pune city, Chandgad police station in Kolhapur district, Bhokardan police station in Jalna district and Ratangad police station in Churu, Rajasthan, said police.In the past, city police returned empty-handed from Rajasthan. This time, the crime branch sleuths hired a car with a local registration number and roped in some local people. Undercover cops nabbed Charan from his swanky residence in a remote Rajasthan village.Complainant Raghunath Prasad Kumar Gujar, 57, a resident near Balaji Temple on Besa Road, was allegedly cheated of Rs3.85 lakh between Jan 30 and Feb 10 this year. The FIR was lodged on Feb 17 at Beltarodi police station.Senior inspector Baburao Raut of crime branch said the accused specifically targeted marble businessmen who regularly purchased premium Rajasthan marbles. “Posing as a supplier, he offered lucrative deals before fleeing with the money. His modus operandi involved building trust through calls and digital communications,” stated Raut. The operation was monitored by DCP (Detection) Deepak Aggarwal.Acting on senior officers’ directives, the crime branch team obtained permissions, traced the accused, conducted medical examination, secured transit remand from Kota and brought Charan to Nagpur. He has been handed over to Beltradi police for further probe.
