The V. B. Nagar police have registered a case against a couple Nasreen Noormohammad Shaikh alias Priya Arun Bharaskale and her husband Arun Krishnaji Bharaskale for allegedly cheating five people of Rs 30.5 lakh under the pretext of renting out flats on a heavy deposit basis.
Couple Posed as Flat Owners
According to the police, the accused posed as property owners and gained the victims’ trust by offering to rent out flats in Mumbai’s HDIL complex at Kurla (West) for large deposit amounts.
The victims later discovered that the couple neither owned the flats nor had any legal authority to rent them out.
Electrician Among Victims
As per the FIR, the complainant Mohammad Irfan Abdul Rashid Ansari (56), an electrician residing in the HDIL area with his family, told police that he had been searching for accommodation after vacating his previous residence in Bandra (East) in 2021.
Modus Operandi
Ansari’s daughter Muskan reportedly came in contact with Nasreen while looking for a flat in Kurla. Nasreen showed her a house and demanded a Rs 4 lakh deposit, which Muskan paid in cash.
Nasreen then handed over the keys but delayed preparing the rental agreement, raising suspicions later.
Multiple Victims Targeted
Similarly, Ansari’s son Imran also paid Rs 4 lakh for another flat, while Ansari himself paid Rs 3.5 lakh for a separate property.
Over time, several others were duped in the same manner, collectively paying Rs 30.5 lakh to the accused couple.
Ownership Fraud Exposed
When the victims later verified the ownership details of the flats, they discovered that the properties belonged to other individuals.
The accused allegedly continued collecting deposits from multiple people under false pretenses and failed to return the money despite repeated requests.
Case Registered, Probe On
Based on the complaints, the V. B. Nagar Police registered an FIR against the couple under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act.
A detailed investigation into the rental fraud is currently underway, police said.
