Mumbai: The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) chairman Uday Samant has asked the authority to act against a man for cheating a homebuyer by showing him forged letter of authorisation to sell the latter a MHADA flat in Borivli.
According to the complainant Salim Hakim Shah, he was cheated by Sunitratan Athawale, who claimed that he dealt with MHADA houses.
The Free Press Journal has a copy of the complaint. Athawale claimed to have good relations with MHADA officials and Samant and told Shah about some unsold MHADA flats in Shimpoli, Borivli that were left over from the 2011-2012 lottery drawing.
Athawale convinced Shah that for some reasons these flats remained unsold. Shah also visited a flat on the tenth floor of the building with his family and paid Athawale Rs 2 lakh through internet banking. Between December 2018 and January 2019 he made another payment of Rs 2 lakh, in cash.
When there was no reply from Athawale, he got suspicious and realised he had been cheated. Immediately, he informed the MHADA chairman, who has now demanded a probe into the matter. According to Shah, there are two more people who have been similarly cheated. Shah said it was every one’s dream to own a house in Mumbai.
“I live in a small house in a chawl at Santacruz and trusted him. I have complained to MHADA so that other people will not fall prey to such fraudsters in the future,” said Shah. When Deependra Singh Kushwah, chief officer of the Mumbai Board of the MHADA was asked about this complaint, he said he would respond by May 2.
