3 builders booked in Mumbai for cheating 58-year-old man of Rs1.82 crore

Accused allegedly took the money under the guise of executing three construction projects

The Vinoba Bhave Nagar police on Thursday registered a case against three builders for allegedly duping their 58-year-old investor from Mumbai Central to the tune of Rs1.82 crore.

The complainant first approached the police in November 2017, following which the accused allegedly promised to return his money, but failed to do so.

The trio, which included the complainant Abdul Rehman Abdul Aziz Kotwala’s brother-in-law, took the amount from Kotwala under the guise of executing three construction projects, the complaint said. They were supposed to share the profits with Kotwala.

“In November 2017, Kotwala had approached the police and gave a complaint about the cheating. We then sent the complaint for public prosecutor’s opinion, and accordingly took further action,” said a police official. After Kotwala approached the police, the accused allegedly promised to return his money, but had failed to do so. Kotwala lodged a formal police complaint on Thursday.

The police on the basis of his complaint, registered a first information report (FIR) booking the trio under various sections, including Sections 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The accused include Kotwala’s brother-in-law Asif Iqbal Ansari, 48, and two of his partners — Rizwan Gulam Mohammed Pataka, 43, and Mohammed Shahid Mohammed Shagir Ansari, 45.

“On the pretext of undertaking the project, Ansari, along with his partners, took the amount as an investment for development of the three projects, through cheque and cash. Since 2013, after Kotwala gave the cash, there was no progress in the projects. There is no development at the first site, the second site has been half-developed and the third site has been handed over to some other developer,” the police official said.

Noticing that there was no progress in the construction works at the three sites, Kotwala asked Ansari last year to refund the amounts the trio had taken from him. Kotwala and Ansari had a meeting and Ansari gave a written undertaking to return the amount invested by the 58-year-old, the complaint said.

Bharat Bhoite, senior police inspector attached to VB Nagar police station said, “We have registered a case on Thursday and are further investigating the matter. Kotwala was cheated for Rs1,82,50,000 overall and was being delayed in being given the cash or the project. We also found that Kotwala had earlier invested in Ansari’s project and had earned a good amount, but had to suffer a loss in this project.”