A 28-year-old MBA who allegedly sold over 20 cars after hiring them was arrested along with an associate on Monday.

Police suspect Atanu Dhar had defrauded several other car owners in the past few months and also masterminded a job racket. He was held in Salt Lake along with Diganta Das, a driver.

Dhar had opened a travel agency called Avipriya Car Max in Khardah two years ago. “Shortly after that, he started hiring cars by promising the owners Rs 15,000 a month and selling off the vehicles for Rs 45,000 to Rs 90,000. Dhar used to introduce himself as the owner of a travel agency but provided fake contact details,” said a senior officer of CID, which is investigating the case.

The cars he “fraudulently” sold included Bolero, Qualis, Scorpio and Omni.

A preliminary investigation revealed that Dhar completed an MBA from Sikkim Manipal University four years ago after graduating in hotel management from a private institute in Salt Lake.

“Dhar, who hails from Kharagpur, studied in a Dhanbad school. His father is a government employee. Dhar’s wife works for Indian Railways and is based in Kharagpur,” said an investigator.

“Dhar took to crime to make easy money. He lived in several houses across the city as a paying guest, shelling out as much as Rs 800 a day,” added the investigator.

The CID started tracking him after complaints by two persons a month and a half ago. He was picked up from a flat where he was staying as a paying guest. Das allegedly used to introduce Dhar to car-owners who wanted to give their vehicles on hire.

CID investigators urged people who had been cheated similarly to get in touch with them at 24506117 during working hours on weekdays.