Surat: Godadara police have booked a man for allegedly cheating a used car dealer by absconding with a high-end Audi Q5 worth ₹50 lakh under the pretext of a test drive. The accused, Anil Patel, has also been booked for criminal intimidation after reportedly threatening the complainant when confronted.

According to the complaint, Rakesh Patel, a real estate broker who also deals in used cars, was trying to raise ₹8 lakh for his business. His friend, Hemant Patel, offered him a Delhi-registered Audi Q5 to sell on behalf of an NRI owner. Rakesh found a buyer, Anil Patel, who took the car for a solo test drive on April 12 but never returned. Despite repeated efforts to retrieve the vehicle over the next month and a half, Anil refused to cooperate and later allegedly threatened Rakesh.

Frustrated, Rakesh lodged a complaint with the Godadara police. The police verified with the RTO that the vehicle is registered under Akrambhai’s name and was legally entrusted to Hemant Patel for sale. Based on this, an FIR has been registered against Anil Patel, and the investigation is ongoing. DeshGujarat