Cops hunt for man in car fraud case

“He would print ads in newspapers offering attractive prices and discounts on purchase of cars. When a customer approached him, he would convince him or her that the car would be transferred in his or her name and the NOC issued once full payment was made. But he would disappear after the payment was done,” a senior officer said.

Police found that all the cars he sold had loans pending against them — the reason why he was unable to obtain NOCs.

“These loans were taken by him to buy the cars, which he then sold to gullible customers. He would disappear without giving the buyer an NOC. To obtain an NOC, there should be no outstanding loans against a car,” the police officer said.

The fraud was unearthed after a woman from the UK approached him for a Renault Duster and paid him Rs 10,50,000.

Despite making the full payment and repeated reminders for the NOC, the woman could not get the car transferred in her name.

“The way the businessman spoke, it seemed he was politically connected. He said I had no right to question a man’s status, integrity and honour, which had been vouched for by the British government. After such a correspondence, I was worried about his approach… and what he was capable of doing, hence I waited,” she stated in her complaint to police.

She said, “I waited for six months and later found that there was bank finance outstanding on the car and, until the amount is paid by the owner, it cannot be transferred in my name. Following this, I lodged a complaint through the local MP in England, who forwarded the complaint to the British High Commission in Delhi.”

Police found that Taneja was a defaulter and habitual offender as he had taken loans from many banks, including the Punjab National Bank and the State Bank of India. The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has registered a case and launched a hunt to nab him.

“Investigations have revealed that he bought luxury cars in other states too after taking heavy loans, and sold them off. We hope to arrest him soon,” an officer said.