PSI promises cheaper flat in Dadar to retired constable, dupes him of ₹17 lakh

A police sub-inspector in Mumbai has been booked for allegedly cheating a retired police constable out of ?17 lakh by promising him a cheaper flat in Dadar. The constable paid the money but never received the property. The sub-inspector has been charged with criminal breach of trust and cheating.

Police have booked a police sub-inspector (PSI) for allegedly cheating a retired police constable of ₹17 lakh after promising him a cheaper flat in Dadar.

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The complainant, Ramesh Sawant, was staying in police quarters at Bhawani Shankar Road in Dadar West. Ahead of his retirement in May 2019, Sawant wanted to buy a house in Dadar and hence, started looking for one, a police officer from Dadar police station said.

Meanwhile, he met PSI Imran Iqbal Patel who was attached to the Mumbai Government Railway Police (GRP) and was staying in the police quarters, the officer said. Sawant came to know that Patel was moonlighting as an estate agent and had helped one Vijay Tambe, a policeman, get a house at a cheaper rate in Dadar, the officer said.

“Sawant told Patel that he wished to buy a flat in Dadar. Patel said he himself had undertaken construction work at Garage Lane on Bhawani Shankar Road and offered him a one-room-kitchen flat for ₹45 lakh,” the police officer said.

Between February and October 2019, Sawant paid ₹17 lakh to Patel, the complaint said. “After his retirement, Sawant went to stay in Thakurli near Kalyan and due to the pandemic, he could not follow up regularly with Patel. However, Patel later gave him several cheques towards refunding his money, saying the property was not ready, but the cheques were dishonoured,” the police officer said.

By then, Patel had been transferred out of Mumbai and posted with the dog squad of the GRP in Khadki, Pune. Sawant even met Patel at his Pune office and requested him to return the money, but in vain, the police officer said.

Sawant, 63, then filed a complaint with the Dadar police and a case was registered against Patel.

“We have booked Patel under section 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and are yet to arrest him. We are also inquiring if Patel has similarly cheated others,” Rajendra Avhad, senior police inspector at Dadar police station, said.