Mumbai: Fraudster Poses as IB Officer, Swindles Investors of ₹17.74 Crore in Real Estate Scam

Mumbai: In a case that sounds like it was ripped from the pages of a crime thriller, a massive real estate fraud involving forged government documents and a man posing as an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer has come to light in Mumbai.

An FIR has been registered at Dindoshi Police Station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the case has now been taken up for investigation by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

The complainant, Mohammad Aslam Qureshi (45), a businessman, has alleged that Rupesh Prabhakar Chaudhary (now deceased) and his associates, including his wife Nikki Chaudhary, Prabhakar Shetty (60), and Roland Karkada (50), cheated him and several investors of a total of ₹17.74 crore.

Between January 2023 and July 2025, Chaudhary allegedly posed as a senior IB officer with close ties to MHADA and MMRDA officials. He promised Qureshi and other investors affordable flats under government schemes, producing forged MHADA documents, fake GRAS challans, and counterfeit government letters to win their trust.

To reinforce his fabricated identity, Chaudhary traveled in vehicles with red beacons, was accompanied by armed bodyguards, and was photographed with IAS and police officers. He even hosted an extravagant birthday party attended by bureaucrats, police officials, and television celebrities from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.

Qureshi alleged that Chaudhary lured investors by offering MHADA flats in premium projects such as Sugi Parimal (Dadar), Vraj Tiara (Worli), Soham Apartment (Walkeshwar), Green Edge Hill (Powai), Minerva, Rustomjee Crown, Oberoi 360 West, and Prestige Jasdan. Qureshi and his associates invested ₹17 crore, expecting registration on July 18, 2025, the very day they learned that Chaudhary had died of a heart attack in Nashik.

During Chaudhary’s funeral, Qureshi discovered that he was never an IB officer. The complaint further alleges that Chaudhary maintained close ties with senior police officials, including then Nashik DCP (now Dhule SP) Chandrakant Khandvi and Pimpri-Chinchwad DCP Vishal Gaikwad, who were reportedly in regular contact with him and allegedly facilitated his Dubai travel.

Further investigation revealed that Chaudhary forged MHADA documents using the name of Anil Diggikar, Vice President of MHADA. Diggikar later confirmed that he had no connection with Chaudhary and that all documents were fake.

Qureshi has raised suspicions regarding Chaudhary’s death, pointing to irregularities in the post-mortem report and red marks on his chest. He also accused Nikki Chaudhary, the deceased’s wife, of retaining investor funds and threatening him with false legal cases.

The complaint, filed through advocates Dr. Yusuf Iqbal Yusuf and Zain Shauf of YNA Legal, seeks an FIR under multiple sections of the BNS, 2023, for cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and extortion. Qureshi has submitted photographs, WhatsApp conversations, forged documents, and financial transaction records as evidence.

Both Mumbai and Nashik Police have launched parallel inquiries, while the EOW has conducted a preliminary inquiry and is now formally investigating the case.

This case exposes how fabricated influence, forged government seals, and bogus official identities are being exploited to dupe investors in Mumbai’s high-stakes real estate market—a warning for both authorities and the public.