Businessman cheated of Rs 50 lakh over cooking oil deal in Thane district
Thane (PTI): A businessman from Maharashtra’s Thane district was duped out of Rs 50 lakh allegedly by two persons who promised to supply cooking oil of a popular brand at reduced rates, an official said on Friday.
The alleged fraud took place between August 2020 and May 2021, said the complainant, a resident of the Ambernath area. The accused persons have been identified as Pune residents Mukesh Pandey and Pallavi Raut.
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As per the FIR registered on December 31, the accused approached the businessman with an offer to supply cooking oil at rates lower than the prevailing market price. “They also assured him of substantial profits from the resale of the oil,” the official said.
Believing their assurances, the complainant allegedly transferred Rs 50 lakh to the accused in several instalments. However, the promised consignment of cooking oil was never delivered, police said.
“When the businessman later followed up for the supply or sought a refund, the accused allegedly avoided him and eventually became incommunicado. He then approached the police,” the official added.
Officials did not explain why the man filed the police complaint after so many years.
Efforts are being made to trace Pandey and Raut, they said.
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Ikkis box office Day 1: Agastya Nanda’s war drama earns ₹7 crore, beats trade projections
Mumbai: Ikkis, the latest war drama directed by Sriram Raghavan, has delivered a stronger-than-expected opening at the box office, earning an estimated ₹7 crore net in India on its first day, Hindustan Times reported on Friday.
The film, starring Agastya Nanda, opened in theatres on January 1 across nearly 4,000 screens nationwide. Trade analysts had earlier projected a modest opening of ₹2–2.5 crore, especially given stiff competition from Dhurandhar, which continues to perform strongly at the box office.
Despite these expectations, Ikkis exceeded projections by nearly three times, helped largely by positive word of mouth. As per the report, the film had around 12% occupancy in the morning shows across the country, which jumped to 35% by afternoon, and 47% in the evening, indicating growing audience interest as the day progressed.
While Dhurandhar dominated the day with a reported ₹15 crore collection, trade observers note that Ikkis holding its ground amid such competition is a promising sign, particularly for its performance over the extended opening weekend.
Ikkis is based on the life of Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of India’s highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra. The film chronicles Khetarpal’s exploits and bravery during the 1971 India-Pakistan War. Agastya plays Khetarpal in the film.
While screen legend Dharmendra appears as his father in his final performance, Dharmendra died a little over a month before the film’s release. Ikkis is also among the final films of the late Asrani, who also died late last year. The film also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Deepak Dobriyal.
