HT Special: Gang cons SoBo college students by promising cheap flats on rent

The DB Marg police have busted a racket in which con men duped well-to-do students of south Mumbai colleges by promising flats on rent for cheap.

The DB Marg police have busted a racket in which con men duped well-to-do students of south Mumbai colleges by promising flats on rent for cheap.

Conmen have put out pamphlets outside colleges to swindle students (HT)

The police said 21-year-old suspect Heeralal Raikwar, alias Prince, has been arrested while his accomplices, including Abdul Humayun Shaikh, alias Raju, are absconding. They said Raikwar, Shaikh and a few others, who are as yet unidentified, had put up posters outside various south Mumbai colleges, saying they could provide students with inexpensive accommodation nearby.

More than 10 students lodged complaints with the DB Marg police after the men took money from them before vanishing. One of them, 18-year-old Jwala Chaudhary from Nagpur, recently got admission to Wilson College. He was looking for accommodation near the college and was duped of Rs 57,000.

Chaudhary told HT, “Since I arrived in Mumbai, I have been staying with a friend’s brother in Navi Mumbai, so I started looking for accommodation near my college. I came across a pamphlet outside the school and called the number on it. Raikwar promised me cheap accommodation near the college and even showed me five flats in the area.”

After selecting a flat, Chaudhary gave Raikwar Rs5,000 on July 9 and the remaining Rs52,000 on July 13. However, Raikwar soon started ignoring his calls, upon which he approached the police. Many other students from HR, Jai Hind, KC and Wilson colleges have also lodged police complaints.

An officer from DB Marg police station, who did not wish to be named, said, “The gang had opened an office at Opera House, which falls under our jurisdiction. We have learnt that they have duped many students in various states. They would open an office and, after gathering a large sum of money from victims, flee to another state and open an office there.”

The two suspects have been booked under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and Raikwar has been remanded in police custody.

The police have filed three separate FIRs so far, and this number could go up.