Bengaluru police have launched a probe into an alleged land fraud in which a city-based doctor was swindled out of ₹2.7 crore through what he believed was an exclusive property development project near Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
According to the complaint filed on November 6, Dr Raja Langer said he was persuaded to invest in a supposed “Heritage Homes” layout that was claimed to be coming up on land owned by the Yadugiri Yatiraja Mutt, said a report by the NDTV. The man accused of orchestrating the scheme, identified as HN Sujayendra, allegedly assured the doctor that the mutt’s land would soon be converted and sold for ₹1.5 crore, even arranging a meeting with the mutt’s Swami, a gesture that reportedly convinced the doctor the offer was legitimate.
Funds raised from multiple sources
Believing the project to be authentic, Dr Langer said he scraped together funds through his salary, family pension, relatives, friends, and various loans. Between March and July 2023, he transferred ₹1.5 crore to a firm named Srinivasa Constructions. Later, Sujayendra allegedly introduced new “technical complications” and claimed an additional ₹1.2 crore was needed to safeguard the previous investment, a sum the doctor paid out of fear of losing his initial contribution.
{{/usCountry}}Believing the project to be authentic, Dr Langer said he scraped together funds through his salary, family pension, relatives, friends, and various loans. Between March and July 2023, he transferred ₹1.5 crore to a firm named Srinivasa Constructions. Later, Sujayendra allegedly introduced new “technical complications” and claimed an additional ₹1.2 crore was needed to safeguard the previous investment, a sum the doctor paid out of fear of losing his initial contribution.
{{/usCountry}}After receiving the full ₹2.7 crore, the accused reportedly stopped taking calls and failed to provide any documents, approvals, or progress updates. No property registration was ever carried out, said the report.
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When Dr Langer approached officials at the mutt earlier this year, the Swami, along with administrator and trustee Gokul Iyenger, allegedly stated that they were completely unaware of any such land deal. They later issued cheques to the doctor totalling ₹2.7 crore, five cheques of ₹50 lakh each and one for ₹20 lakh, all of which bounced, the report stated.
Mutt’s involvement under review
Investigators say it is still unclear whether the religious institution was actually connected to the alleged scam or whether Sujayendra simply invoked the mutt’s name to win the trust of potential investors.
Police added that Sujayendra had also claimed to have ties within central government departments and suggested he worked with them. Officers have reached out to the relevant agencies to verify these claims as part of their ongoing investigation.
HT.com has not independently verified the authenticity of this information.