Mumbai: Ghatkopar Police arrested a 37-year-old cheat for luring three persons into buying cheaper flates and duping them of 81 lakh. The complainants were offered flats in a high-rise in the eastern suburbs. They were also given a fake receipt showing the flat had been allotted to them, but when they approached the builder, they found no such flat had been booked in their name.
The arrested accused was identified as Karsan Patel 37, a resident of Ghatkopar, a baba, who was often spotted in the area temples. “Patel was arrested on Sunday and was produced in court, which remanded him in police custody,” said a cop.
Before his arrest, Ghatkopar police on November 4, had arrested another man, Mitesh Thakkar, 38, in this connection. The complainants, Jitendra Gajjar, 55, and his brother Ashwin had paid 65 lakh. While a third person, Pancha Raut, had paid 16 lakh to Patel.
Police said Patel had claimed the builder owed him money and told the victims he owned 10,000 square foot space in the building. “He lured the victims with the promise of a flats at cheaper rates in Pusphanjali Residency, a high-rise in Ghatkopar. So, the Gajjar brothers paid him 65 lakh, the flats were priced at 70 lakh each. From 2015 to 2017, the accused took the cash from the Gajjars and Raut on different occasions, each time giving them fake receipts on behalf of the builder,” said the police officer.
When there was a delay in the allotment of their flat, the Gajjars and Raut approached the builder, who confirmed that he had received only 3 lakh as payment from them. By now, the trio was convinced they had been cheated by Patel and they approached police and a case was registered in September 2018 under sections for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property (420), punishment for forgery (465), forgery for purpose of cheating 468, making or possessing counterfeit seal (472), and common intention (34) of the Indian Penal Code. “We had received the information that 3 lakh was paid to the builder by the accused in the name of allotment. We are further investigating the matter,” said the police officer.
