MHADA Flat Scam: Woman Accused of Defrauding Senior Citizen in ₹1 Crore Case

Dadar Police have registered a case of fraud against Bhakti Akshay Khandarkar for allegedly deceiving a senior citizen and her family under the pretext of allotting MHADA flats. Police investigations have revealed that Bhakti, posing as a senior official in the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), defrauded 77-year-old Ranjana Varadkar, her sister, and sister-in-law of nearly ₹1 crore. Authorities have confirmed that Bhakti will soon be questioned in the case.

The complainant, Ranjana Ramakant Varadkar, a resident of Dadar, currently resides with her sister in Pune but occasionally visits her Dadar flat. Three years ago, she met Bhakti at Raheja Hospital, where her sister-in-law, Ajit Vasaykar, introduced Bhakti as a MHADA officer with strong connections to senior officials. Bhakti allegedly promised them affordable MHADA flats and persuaded them to invest in a scheme.

Bhakti reportedly convinced Ranjana and her sister Deepti (alias Sandhya Shinde) to visit her residence in Prabhadevi. During the meeting, Bhakti assured them of securing a 2BHK flat in Goregaon’s Unnat Nagar for ₹20 lakh through a MHADA lottery. Trusting her, Ranjana decided to proceed with the offer.

From January 4 to January 27, 2022, Ranjana transferred ₹20 lakh to Bhakti. They even signed an MoU, where Bhakti committed to delivering the Goregaon flat. However, two years passed without any progress on the promised flat, prompting Ranjana to repeatedly follow up with Bhakti. When questioned about the delay, Bhakti reportedly refused to refund the money.

Bhakti also allegedly took ₹60 lakh from Ranjana's sister-in-law Priya Vasaykar and ₹20 lakh from her sister Deepti Shinde, promising similar flats. None of them received the promised MHADA flats. In total, Bhakti is accused of defrauding the three women of approximately ₹1 crore.

Realizing the fraud, Ranjana lodged a complaint against Bhakti at the Dadar Police Station. After verifying the claims, police registered a case of cheating under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Senior officers have instructed Police Sub-Inspector Sonali Mirkar to lead the investigation. Summons have been issued to Bhakti, requiring her to appear for questioning.