A 36-year-old farmer from Surat has lodged a cheating complaint at the Umra police station against alleged conman Anil Vibhani, accusing him of duping him of Rs 5.35 lakh. The farmer, identified as Fenil Patel, was promised that Vibhani would use his influence with senior police officials to secure a favorable outcome in an Economic Offences Wing (EOW) investigation.
The Alleged Scheme
According to police, Patel had filed a land dispute case that was under investigation by the Surat police EOW. In October 2025, he met Vibhani through a common acquaintance. During their meeting, Vibhani claimed to have connections with senior police officials and assured Patel that he could manipulate the probe in his favor. He allegedly demanded money to bribe officials and collected Rs 5.35 lakh through multiple transactions.
How the Con Unfolded
To gain Patel’s trust, Vibhani kept providing updates on the progress of the case. He later claimed that the opposing party in the dispute had been arrested and would be brought to the Crime Branch office at Chowk Bazar. Vibhani instructed Patel to wait for a call before arriving there, but subsequently stopped responding. Realizing he had been cheated, Patel approached the police.
Habitual Offender
Police said Vibhani is a habitual offender and is named in multiple cheating cases involving large sums of money. He was recently arrested by Ahmedabad police in another cheating case. A case has been registered against him at Umra police station.
