Mumbai doctor duped of Rs 65 lakh in luxury flat scam; one arrested

Mumbai: A doctor from Malad East was allegedly cheated of Rs 65 lakh in a fake luxury flat scheme, following which the Kurar police have arrested one of the accused from Indore after a two-year search.

The arrested accused, aged 38 years, was apprehended from Indore. According to police officials, the second accused is already lodged in a Madhya Pradesh jail in connection with a similar cheating case.

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Police investigations revealed that the accused operated under the guise of a businessman and claimed to run a social welfare organisation. The duo allegedly targeted financially well-off individuals and lured them with promises of luxury flats in upscale areas at rates significantly lower than market prices.

To gain the trust of victims, the accused reportedly took victims on site visits. After convincing the victims, they allegedly demanded 35 per cent of the flat’s value as an advance payment for registration formalities. Once the money was collected, the accused would reportedly switch off their mobile phones and disappear.

The fraud came to light after a 33-year-old doctor filed a complaint with the Kurar police. According to the complaint, the accused first came in contact with him through a relative in September 2023 and gradually gained his trust by repeatedly visiting his clinic. They later offered him a luxury flat in Altamount Tower in Malad East.

Initially, the accused took Rs 25 lakh in cash for registration and later pressured him to pay an additional Rs 40 lakh online to “process the loan”. However, despite collecting Rs 65 lakh over two years, the accused failed to complete the registration and later stopped answering calls. Realising he had been cheated, the doctor approached the police, reports Mid-Day.

During the investigation, police discovered that the 38-year-old accused frequently visited red-light areas in various cities to evade arrest. Acting on a tip-off, Kurar police tracked him to a paying guest accommodation located in a red-light area in Indore.

The accused was arrested on May 2 and later brought to Mumbai. He is currently in judicial custody.

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