Man tries to buy flat in Mumbai, duped of Rs23.05 lakh

The accused said he has clout in Mhada and could get him a Mhada apartment for Rs36 lakh within six months

Borivli police have booked a man for allegedly duping an employee of a private firm of Rs23.05 lakh by promising to get him a 2BHK Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) flat in Dahisar.

Police said the accused, to win the confidence of the complainant, made false property related documents and also gave him a forged receipt. (HT FILE)

Probe is on to find the accused.

According to the Borivli police the complainant Anand Ghadigavkar, 33, is a Gorai resident and works in a private firm. He came in touch with the wanted accused Rakesh Shinde, also a Gorai resident, through mutual friends.

In 2014, Shinde promised to get the complainant a 2BHK flat in Dahisar area. He said he has clout in Mhada and could get him the apartment for Rs36 lakh within six months. As the value was lesser than the market price, the complainant agreed to buy the flat. Police said that Ghadigavkar paid Shinde around Rs23.05 lakh in advance for the apartment.

“The accused to win the confidence of the complainant made false property related documents and also gave him a forged receipt,” said a police official from Borivli police station privy to the investigation. However, Shinde kept asking Ghadigavkar for more time to sell the flat, citing some reason or the other. As years passed by, Ghadigavkar realised he had been duped and the accused had no intention of selling him the flat.

The FIR has been filed under sections 420 (cheating), 406(criminal breach of trust), 465(forgery), 467(forgery of valuable security), 471(using genuine as forged), 482 (using false property mark) of the Indian Penal Code.