Man duped of ₹1.25 crore in fake flat deal in Greater Noida

Four booked for cheating a man of ₹1.25 crore over a flat sale in Greater Noida; victim's calls ignored after advance payment.

Four people were booked for cheating a 30-year-old man of ₹1.25 crore on the pretext of selling him a flat in a premium highrise society in Beta 2, Greater Noida, police said on Friday.

The victim, Prashant Pandey, a resident of Noida Sector 107, used to live with his family in that society, police said. (Representational image)

The victim, Prashant Pandey, a resident of Noida Sector 107, used to live with his family in a rented flat in the same society, police said.

“In August 2024, Pandey decided to buy a flat in the society. A society salesman told him there was a flat on sale whose owner had shifted to Maharashtra. Pandey contacted the owner and agreed to buy the flat. The owner told Pandey there was an outstanding home loan on the flat, which he would settle before surrendering the papers,” said a police officer, requesting anonymity.

“On January 18, 2025, the flat owner told me he had arranged money to settle the loan. But he was short of ₹5 lakh and took an advance from me. On January 30, he came to my house and gave the clearance papers,” said the FIR.

The deal for the flat was fixed at ₹6 crore, and Pandey paid ₹1.20 crore as advance, in addition to ₹5 lakh paid earlier. “In February, when I approached flat owners, my calls and messages were ignored. When I contacted the salesman, I was told that the flat was sold to someone else. When I protested, he (salesman) threatened me with dire consequences,” said the FIR.

The victim approached police, who conducted a preliminary investigation and then registered a case at Beta 2 police station on Thursday. “We have registered a case of cheating, breach of trust, intentional insult, and criminal intimidation under BNS against the suspects, identified as Sushil Kumar Tuli, the flat owner, his wife Nalini, their son Vinay, and Nitin Chawla, the salesman,” said Vinod Kumar, station house officer, Beta 2.