A lawyer from Kurla has allegedly been cheated of around ₹33 lakh after being promised a MHADA-allotted room in the Srinivas Mill Apartment at Worli. The Vinoba Bhave Nagar Police have registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against the accused, identified as Navin Natha Gaikwad. Police are probing whether Gaikwad has cheated other people through similar fake MHADA room transactions.
Complainant Nitin Shingte, a practising lawyer residing in Kurla, runs a private office near the Kurla court. He had earlier come in contact with a man named Mahendra Hadkar, who later introduced him to another acquaintance, Raju Rathod. About four years ago, Rathod informed Shingte about a mill worker's room available for sale and assured him that all documents could be arranged. He added that the file related to this room was with Navin Gaikwad.
Interested in purchasing the room, Shingte met Gaikwad. The accused told him that a room allotted by MHADA to one Balkrishna Mayekar at Srinivas Mill, Worli, would soon be transferred to the deceased worker’s married daughter, Swati Kamble. Gaikwad claimed he could legally complete all paperwork and hand over the room to Shingte. To gain his trust, he showed him documents such as the MHADA allotment letter, Mayekar’s death certificate, the legal heir’s Aadhaar card and the mill service certificate.
A deal for ₹37.5 lakh was finalised between them, and a part-payment agreement for sale was prepared. Shingte paid ₹15 lakh by cheque and ₹18 lakh in cash — a total of ₹33 lakh — in the presence of Hadkar and Rathod. Gaikwad promised to hand over the room’s possession within one-and-a-half months, after which the remaining payment would be made. However, even after two to three months, Shingte neither received possession nor any response from Gaikwad, who began avoiding his calls.
Growing suspicious, Shingte visited Srinivas Mill in August 2025 to verify the status of the flat. To his shock, he learnt that the room actually belonged to a person named Rajbhoj, who had even rented it out to a tenant. Realising he had been conned, Shingte confronted Gaikwad and demanded his money back.
Gaikwad, however, allegedly misappropriated the ₹33 lakh without handing over the room as promised. Shingte subsequently filed a complaint at Vinoba Bhave Nagar Police Station. After verification of the allegations, police registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against Navin Gaikwad. Further investigation is underway to determine if more victims have been duped in a similar manner, officials said.