Mumbai, October 14, 2026: Sixteen people were allegedly cheated of Rs 3.63 crore on the pretext of providing homes allotted to mill workers under a government housing scheme for Rs 35 lakh each.
Bhoiwada police have registered a case against Anil Arun Mane, 35, an estate agent associated with Om Enterprises, six of his alleged associates and other persons in connection with the suspected fraud.
How The Alleged Fraud Began
According to the FIR, complainant Suresh Vasant Shinde, 47, who runs a printing business under the name S.V. Enterprises, resides at New Hind Mill Compound in Ghodapdev, Mazgaon. He also handles stamp duty payments to the government on behalf of a private company.
During his professional work, Shinde became acquainted with Santosh Takale and Vikas Bhalerao, who worked at the office of Mane, an estate agent operating from S.S. Wagh Marg in Dadar East.
When Shinde expressed his desire to purchase a house, the two allegedly assured him that Mane could arrange a home allotted to mill workers under the government scheme.
In August 2024, Shinde, accompanied by his cousin Ajay Shinde, met Mane, who allegedly offered him a room at the Bombay Dyeing Mill MHADA housing complex in Naigaon, Dadar East, for Rs 35 lakh.
Payment Made, Transfer Delayed
On November 7, 2024, Shinde paid Rs 20 lakh through a cheque drawn on IDBI Bank's Wadala branch. According to the complaint, Mane showed him property-related documents, including an intimation letter and a mill workers' lottery token receipt, for a room allegedly owned by Dayaram Hansraj Jaiswal. Mane reportedly promised to transfer the room within two months.
A notarised memorandum of understanding (MoU) was subsequently executed through a lawyer on November 28, 2024. However, the promised transfer did not take place.
When Shinde repeatedly followed up, Mane allegedly cited various reasons and later claimed that the original room could not be transferred. He offered another room and provided fresh documents, but that transaction also failed to materialise.
When Shinde demanded a refund, Mane allegedly issued a cheque for Rs 20 lakh drawn on Yes Bank. The cheque was reportedly dishonoured, prompting Shinde to approach the police.
More Victims Come Forward
Further inquiries allegedly revealed that Mane, along with Takale, Bhalerao, Siddhesh Jadhav, Nilesh Khade, Sudhir Waigankar, Shila Dhuri and others, had conspired to induce people to pay money by promising to arrange homes allotted to mill workers under the government scheme.
Shinde later learnt that several other people had allegedly been duped using a similar promise of securing mill workers' homes. He submitted a complaint to Bhoiwada police along with seven other alleged victims, while eight more people reportedly lodged separate complaints.
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Police Investigation Underway
Police have registered a case under Sections 316(5), 318(4) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy. Further investigation is underway to establish the alleged role of the accused and trace the transactions, police said.
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