Pune Crime: Fake Woman Poses As Landowner In Bogus Sale Deed, Grocery Trader Duped Of ₹46 Lakh; Four Booked

Pune: Chandan Nagar Police have registered a case against four persons for allegedly cheating a grocery trader of ₹46 lakh by executing a fraudulent land sale deed using a woman posing as the original landowner and opening a fake bank account in her name.

The complainant, Javed Mohammad Rafiq Bagwan (46), a resident of Shukrawar Peth, alleged that the accused lured him into a joint land investment deal and syphoned off his money through forged documents and fake identities.

Based on his complaint, police have booked Imtiyaz Ghulam Hussain Khan (40), a resident of Kharadi, Yogiraj Dhamdhere of Wadgaon Sheri, Nitin Pandharinath Dhamdhere (38) of Kharadi, and an unidentified woman.

According to the FIR, Bagwan met Khan at a mosque in 2018. In January 2020, Khan allegedly informed him about a four-guntha plot near Bollywood Theatre in Wadgaon Sheri that was available for ₹86 lakh. Since Bagwan could not afford the entire amount, the two agreed to purchase the property jointly. Bagwan was to invest ₹50 lakh, while Khan would contribute the remaining amount. In return, Bagwan was to receive a two-guntha share in the land.

Police said Bagwan initially paid ₹35 lakh towards the purchase and later another ₹15 lakh for stamp duty and legal expenses. A sale deed was executed at the Haveli-Wagholi Sub-Registrar's Office on February 11, 2020, where a woman claiming to be the landowner, Catherine Clarette, appeared for the registration. Khan later allegedly collected another ₹5 lakh from Bagwan for fencing and developing the plot.

The fraud came to light on January 25, 2024, when Bagwan visited the property and found it in the possession of two other individuals who claimed to be its owners. After he approached the police, Khan allegedly issued him a cheque of ₹50 lakh. However, the cheque was dishonoured due to insufficient funds.

During the investigation, police found that the property had originally been purchased by Catherine Anthony Clarette in 1995 and sold to Mangala Purushottam Dokras in 2001. Investigators suspect that the accused arranged for an unidentified woman to impersonate Catherine during the execution of the sale deed.

Police also found that a fake bank account had allegedly been opened in Catherine's name, into which Bagwan's payment was deposited. The money was later allegedly transferred to the bank account of Zainab Khan, the wife of accused Imtiyaz Khan.

Chandan Nagar Police have registered a case of cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and other relevant offences. The investigation is underway.