The Andheri police have arrested Latif Shantavat Rajguru, who had been absconding for eight months in connection with multiple fraud cases. Rajguru was posing as a Mantralaya employee and duping people by falsely claiming that he could help them secure affordable housing through the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). Among his victims are a political figure and several others.
Political Leader Falls Victim:
According to Andheri police complainant Nilesh Maruti Raut, a resident of Sion-Koliwada, who is also active in politics, and his wife Uma, a social worker, were introduced to Latif two years ago by their acquaintances, Ajay Vinayak Desai and Shafique Sheikh, both of whom work in the film industry. Desai and Sheikh had introduced Latif as a person working in the ministry and well-connected with senior officials in various government departments, including MHADA.
Nilesh Raut and the others were looking to invest in a new flat and were advised to explore the option of purchasing a MHADA flat. Desai and Sheikh assured them that Latif would assist in the process. Their first meeting with Latif took place in October 2022 at Bhoiwada, where he showed them a sample MHADA flat. Latif promised them a flat for ₹15 lakh.
A second meeting followed at a hotel in Andheri, where Latif wore an ID card from the ministry, which further convinced Raut of his legitimacy.
The Fraudulent Transactions: After detailed discussions regarding the MHADA flat, Nilesh Raut paid Latif a total of ₹20.42 lakh in installments, while Arvind Govardhan Jadhav paid him ₹7.33 lakh. In total, Latif collected ₹27.76 lakh from both individuals, promising that they would get possession of the flat within two months. However, even after eight to nine months, there was no progress.
Suspecting foul play, Raut and Jadhav visited the MHADA office in Bhoiwada for inquiries, where they learned that no flat had been allocated to them. Upon presenting the payment receipts and other documents to the MHADA officials, they were informed that the documents were fake.
In January 2023, Raut tried to gather more information about Latif from the ministry, only to find out that he was not employed there. The security deposit checks given to Latif also bounced. Realizing they had been defrauded, Nilesh Raut lodged a complaint with the Andheri police.
The Investigation and Arrest: The police registered a case against Latif under IPC sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 466 (forging a public document), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for cheating), and 471 (using a forged document).
Upon filing the case, Latif absconded and had been evading arrest for the last eight months. However, two days ago, the police finally apprehended him. During interrogation, Latif confessed that he had been posing as a government employee and promising MHADA flats at lower rates, while issuing fake receipts to gain people’s trust.
Following the investigation, the police have arrested him and presented him before the court, which has remanded him to police custody. The police are now investigating how many people Latif has defrauded and where the money he collected has been invested.