Dombivli: In a major crackdown on an alleged housing fraud racket in Dombivli, the Manpada Police have arrested two accused who allegedly cheated hundreds of aspiring homebuyers by luring them with promises of cheap houses illegally constructed on Defence Department land.
The arrested accused have been identified as Manoj Dhumal and Sachin Surve. A local court has remanded both accused to police custody till May 19. Police suspect the fraud could run into several crores of rupees and believe more people may have fallen victim to the racket.
According to investigators, the accused were operating under the name Sai Mauli Construction in the Khoni-Dhamtan area near Dombivli. Police said the duo had allegedly erected three unauthorized room structures on land belonging to the Defence Department and used those structures to convince people that affordable housing units were being developed in the area.
Officials said the accused targeted financially weaker and middle-class families who were desperately searching for low-cost housing options in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Victims were allegedly promised permanent homes at highly affordable rates, prompting many to invest their savings in the project.
During the probe, police found that several victims had paid amounts ranging between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 4 lakh to secure the promised homes. Preliminary estimates suggest that nearly 200 to 250 people were allegedly duped in the scam, with the total cheating amount running into crores.
A case had earlier been registered at the Manpada Police Station after multiple complaints surfaced against the accused. However, following the registration of the FIR, both accused had reportedly gone absconding. Acting on technical inputs and local intelligence, police traced and arrested Dhumal and Surve during a recent operation.
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Investigators are now scrutinizing financial transactions, property-related documents, and other records linked to the alleged scam. Police officials said they are also probing whether the accused floated similar fraudulent housing schemes elsewhere in the region.
Sources in the investigation revealed that authorities suspect the involvement of additional accomplices in the racket. Police teams are currently searching for at least two to three more suspects believed to be connected to the fraud network.
The case has once again highlighted the growing menace of illegal housing scams in rapidly developing suburban belts around Mumbai, where vulnerable homebuyers are often trapped by the promise of cheaper flats and quick possession.
Further investigation is underway by the Manpada Police.
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