The Malad police have busted an organised gang involved in cheating homebuyers by selling flats using forged documents and have arrested six persons in connection with the case. The gang allegedly uploaded advertisements of flats on real estate websites using fake property papers and posed imposters as owners to dupe prospective buyers of large sums of money.
According to the Malad police, the investigation was initiated following the registration of an FIR on December 29, in which a homebuyer was allegedly cheated of ₹30 lakh. During the probe, it was revealed that the accused showed forged documents of a flat and produced an impostor in place of the real owner to execute the deal.
Police said the prime accused, identified as Amit Thakur alias Kasim alias Rashid Khan (30), is currently absconding. Investigating agencies stated that he, along with his associates, has used similar modus operandi to cheat several people in the past.
Further interrogation of the arrested accused is underway, and police suspect that more cases of cheating linked to the gang may come to light. Efforts are on to trace and arrest the absconding prime accused.