Mumbai: Retired Police Officer Duped of ₹30 Lakh on Pretext of Real Estate Investment; Five Booked

A serious case of cheating has come to light wherein a retired police officer was allegedly duped of ₹30 lakh on the pretext of investing in a real estate project. Pant Nagar Police Station has registered a case against five accused persons under sections pertaining to cheating and criminal breach of trust.

According to the police, the complainant, Prakash Uddhav Malve (66), retired from Mumbai Police in 2017 from the post of Assistant Police Inspector and currently resides in Kandivali (East). He was planning to purchase a flat in the Ghatkopar area to secure his son’s future.

In 2021, Malve came in contact with builder Piyush Patel, who introduced him to Mahesh Patel and Suresh Patel. The duo allegedly claimed to be operators of JSK Realty and assured him of a flat in an under-construction project in Pant Nagar.

In March 2023, a meeting was held at an office in Thane, which was also attended by Manoj Patel, Meenakshi Patel and Irfan, who introduced themselves as investors. The accused allegedly showed the complainant and his family a flat in Dhanshyam Building, Pant Nagar, and finalised the price at ₹1.55 crore. They demanded ₹30 lakh as advance booking amount.

To gain the complainant’s trust, the accused also showed them a private school allegedly operated by them in the Kalher area of Bhiwandi, along with other claimed development projects.

On March 6, 2023, the complainant transferred ₹30 lakh to a bank account provided by the accused. After receiving the money, the accused assured that the agreement would be prepared shortly. However, they later began delaying the process on various pretexts and eventually cut off all communication.

Upon conducting his own inquiry, the complainant discovered that the accused neither had the authority to sell the flat nor possessed any legitimate project. It is alleged that the accused conspired together, won his trust, and misappropriated the money.

Taking serious note of the complaint, Pant Nagar Police have registered an FIR against the five accused. Police are currently examining bank transactions, call detail records, and related documents. Officials have indicated that more victims may come forward as the investigation progresses.