A 59-year-old retired woman from a reputed insurance company has been allegedly duped of ₹1.15 crore by a four-member gang under the pretext of securing a subsidised MHADA flat. The incident came to light in the Mahim area, prompting the Shahunagar Police to register a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against the accused.
The suspects have been identified as Ramchandra Acharekar, Prabhjan alias Prabhu Pujar, Ramakant Mahajani, and Satish alias Sachin Suryavanshi. All four have been declared wanted by the police, and a search is currently underway to trace their whereabouts.
According to the police, the complainant resides in Shahunagar Colony in Mahim. In March 2022, she came into contact with the accused, who claimed to have strong connections within the MHADA office, including senior officials. They allegedly told her they had helped several needy people obtain low-cost MHADA flats in the past and promised to do the same for her.
Trusting their words, the woman agreed and gradually paid them around ₹1.50 crore in instalments. Of this, ₹47.5 lakh was paid in cash, while ₹1.25 crore was transferred to the accused's bank accounts.
However, even after three years, the woman did not receive a MHADA flat, nor was she provided with any official allotment letter or related documentation. When she started demanding her money back, the accused returned ₹34.5 lakh. But the remaining ₹1.15 crore was allegedly misappropriated.
Realising she had been cheated, the woman approached Shahunagar Police and lodged a complaint. Following a preliminary investigation, the police registered a case against all four accused under relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police teams are now probing whether the same gang has duped other individuals using similar tactics. The investigation is ongoing.