A builder who allegedly cheated a Bollywood artist woman of ₹16.5 lakh on the pretext of giving her a flat in a new building has been arrested by Versova Police after four months on the run. The accused has been identified as Babu Anand Sindal, who is currently in police custody for the same cheating case. Police have also named broker Mohammad Iqbal Ajeemkhan Ahmed as a wanted accused for his role in the fraud. A search for him is underway. Police suspect the duo may have committed similar offences in the past, and Sindal is being interrogated further.
According to police, complainant Priyanka Sahu lives with her husband and two children in the Versova–Yari Road area of Andheri. Priyanka works as an artist in Bollywood, while her husband Sanjay kumar Sahu is an acting coach. Mohammad Iqbal, known to the couple for eight years, introduced them to builder Babu Sindal in May 2023, claiming he owned a flat in Versova village and wished to rent it out on a heavy deposit.
After visiting the flat, the couple agreed to take it on a heavy deposit of ₹5 lakh and transferred the amount online. Iqbal also claimed Sindal’s friend was residing in the same flat and that the couple would earn ₹14,000 per month by letting it out — following which they allowed his friend to stay there as a tenant.
During this time, Iqbal introduced Sindal as a builder constructing a new building named Kalpesh House in Mandvi Galli, Versova. Sindal offered the Sahus a 400 sq ft flat in the new building for ₹13 lakh. Trusting him, the couple paid ₹5 lakh initially and later another ₹6.5 lakh, with the balance to be paid upon possession. A sale agreement was also executed between both parties.
Sindal promised possession of the flat in September 2023 but failed to deliver. Soon after, Priyanka discovered that even the flat taken on a heavy deposit was not owned by Sindal, revealing the fraud. When the couple demanded their money back, Sindal issued two cheques, both of which bounced.
Despite repeated follow-ups, the accused neither returned the ₹16.5 lakh nor handed over any flat.
Realising they had been cheated, Priyanka lodged a complaint with Versova Police. After verifying the details, police registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against Babu Sindal and broker Mohammad Iqbal. Sindal had been absconding for four months before his arrest.
During interrogation, Sindal confessed to misappropriating the money with Iqbal’s help. He has been taken into custody, while police continue searching for Iqbal.