Four, including TV actor, held in cheating case

Four persons have been arrested by the city police for allegedly cheating several people of over Rs 1 crore, an official said on Wednesday.

Ironically, one of the accused, who is a television actor, had played a policeman in a popular crime show.

Bhimraj Mallik (31), Pravin Sukhsagar Varma (29), TV actor Mallesh Shrimant Dingi (47) and Chavdappa Narsingh Kalor (38) were arrested two days ago.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) S S Burse said that a Mumbai-based leather merchant first approached Shil Daighar police station here in July with a complaint.

He told police that the accused offered to sell him leather at a low price, took an advance of Rs 2 lakh, and vanished.

Complaints of cheating were registered against the accused in other parts of Thane district too.

In some cases, the accused allegedly approached people offering to exchange coins or small-denomination currency notes with high-denomination currency at a premium.

The coins and notes were from donations collected at Sai Baba Temple in Shirdi and Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai, the accused told the buyers.

They also offered gold biscuits and other items, saying these were offered to the temples.

The buyers would realize only later that the currency or coins traded by the gang were counterfeit and the gold items were fake, the DCP said.

While Mallesh -- who has acted in a Hindi crime show -- and Chavdappa are residents of Bhiwandi, Pravin is from Mumbra in the district. Bhimraj lives in Govandi in Mumbai.

The accused were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code including section 420 (cheating).

Ten mobile phones, Rs 28,000 in cash, a big stock of fake currency and fake gold biscuits were seized from the accused. Further probe is on.