A 38-year-old marine pilot was allegedly cheated of ₹65 lakh on the pretext of renting a flat on a heavy deposit, which later turned out to have been auctioned by a bank. The Khar Police have registered a case against four persons in connection with the fraud.
Flat Deal Turns Out to Be a Scam
According to the FIR, complainant Nilesh Bamnia, who lives with his wife and two children in Khar West, was approached in February by a man named Lavesh Gowda, who informed him about a flat in Continental Tower, Rizvi Complex, Bandra West. Gowda then introduced him to brokers Mohammad Rehman, Anil Dubey, and Pradeep Jadhav.
The owners, Shanti and Tarun Chavan, finalised a deal for ₹65 lakh as a heavy deposit for three years. Believing the offer to be genuine, Bamnia transferred the money in instalments to Shanti Chavan’s account. The agreement was registered at the Jogeshwari Sub-Registrar’s Office.
Flat Already Auctioned by Bank
When Bamnia later sought possession, the accused claimed that renovation work was underway. However, he soon discovered that the flat had already been auctioned by Kotak Bank, revealing the entire transaction to be fraudulent.
Victim Threatened After Confrontation
When confronted, the Chavans offered their Karjat land instead, which was later found to have already been sold to another buyer. The accused including Dhyaneshwar Dighe and Sadiqoor Rehman allegedly threatened Bamnia when he demanded his money back.
The Khar Police have registered a case against all six accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further investigation is underway.
