Nagpur, India: A 25-year-old woman, Shejal Ajay Sadhwani, has been accused of defrauding an engineer, his family, and friends out of Rs 88.46 lakh by pretending to be a chartered accountant from a Mumbai-based firm. The Hudkeshwar Police have registered a case against Shejal, a resident of Kukreja Nagar, Jaripatka, and her accomplices, based on a complaint filed by the victim, Pranay Arun Pandit.

Pranay, who works as a systems engineer in MIHAN, reported that he met Shejal during a dinner with his colleagues. They later connected through social media, and in February, Shejal claimed she needed urgent financial help for her father's medical treatment. To build trust, she fabricated a story about organizations willing to support her but said the funds couldn't be processed through her account due to "official reasons."

Exploiting this trust, Shejal convinced Pranay, his friends, and his family to provide sensitive personal documents, such as Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and salary slips. Using these documents, Shejal secured loans from banks and financial institutions in their names. After the money was transferred into their accounts, she persuaded them to send the funds to her account. Once she collected Rs 88.46 lakh, Shejal disappeared.

Police have charged Shejal and her accomplices under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, forgery, and conspiracy. The investigation is ongoing.