Mumbai: Man Posing as Senior Govt Officer Cheats Dadar Resident on Pretext of MLA Quota House

A shocking case of fraud has come to light in Dadar, where a conman posed as a senior official in the state ministry and duped a man of ₹15 lakh by promising him a MHADA house under the MLA quota. The victim, identified as Shailesh Patel (35), has lodged a complaint at the Dadar police station.

According to the complaint, Patel first met accused Rajesh Suresh Shinde in 2020 at a Xerox shop in Agar Bazar, Dadar. Introducing himself as a high-ranking ministry official, Shinde gradually built trust and even purchased stationery items from Patel.

In 2023, Shinde assured Patel that he could help him secure a MHADA flat through the MLA quota. He claimed that while houses generally cost ₹2–3 crore in the open market, Patel could get one for ₹1–1.5 crore under the quota. However, Shinde demanded ₹25 lakh in advance to "process the file."

Trusting him, Patel transferred a total of ₹15 lakh between September 3 and September 11, 2024, in installments through Saraswat Bank and ICICI Bank accounts. Some of the money came from his own savings, while the rest was borrowed.

Even after the MHADA lottery was announced in November 2024, Patel did not receive the promised house. When questioned, Shinde allegedly claimed that "special rooms under MLA quota take time" and later cut off all communication.

Investigations have revealed that Shinde has cheated several people using the same modus operandi—posing as a ministry official and luring victims with promises of subsidised MHADA flats. Police said Shinde defrauded Patel of ₹15 lakh in this manner.

Dadar police have registered a case and further investigation is underway.