Thane Woman Duped of Rs 32 Lakh in Real Estate Scam: Case Filed Against Agent and Wife
The police in Thane have registered a case against a real estate agent and his wife for allegedly cheating a 32-year-old woman of Rs 32.83 lakh. The woman, a resident of Mira Road, claimed that the couple assured her of a house at Kandivali under the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) scheme.
The victim's husband works abroad, and she was in desperate need of a secure place to live. The real estate agent and his wife, both from Jogeshwari in neighboring Mumbai, promised her a flat under the MHADA scheme. They took Rs 32.83 lakh from her in installments from October 2023 but failed to provide the promised house.
When the woman tried to contact them for an explanation, there was no response. Frustrated and concerned, she approached the police. Based on her complaint, an FIR was registered on Monday against the couple under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.
In a related incident, the police have also registered an FIR against two individuals for allegedly misusing a woman's property documents to execute a fraudulent purchase and sale agreement. The 35-year-old complainant, Sabina Sharif Shiekh, owns an ancestral property in Wanjewadi, Mahim.
One day, Sarfaraz Peerzade approached her, claiming that the room registered in her father's name was slated for redevelopment. He introduced Viraj Churi as someone who could assist her in securing the room under the scheme. On this pretext, the accused collected all her property documents. Two days later, they returned the documents, stating that her room was no longer eligible for redevelopment as the government had discontinued the scheme.
A few days later, they approached her again and took her to the Worli Registrar's office, claiming she would receive Rs 5 lakh under a government initiative. However, they took her documents once more and asked her to sign papers without disclosing their contents. Upon reading them, Sabina discovered that a room had been purchased in her name from Kamru Bahuda Jabbar Khan and subsequently sold to Sooraj Estate Developers Limited.
After returning home, she narrated the incident to her family, who advised her to approach the local police. She lodged a written complaint, and based on the evidence, Mahim police registered an FIR under relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita for cheating and breach of trust. No arrests have been made so far, and further investigation is underway.
These cases highlight the growing trend of real estate scams in the region, where unsuspecting individuals are often taken advantage of by unscrupulous agents. Authorities are urging residents to be cautious and verify all documents and claims before making any financial transactions.
