Navi Mumbai: 3 booked for duping plot buyers of over Rs 3 crore

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Three individuals linked to a developer firm have been accused of swindling 20 plot buyers of more than Rs 3 crore in Navi Mumbai, leading to the registration of an offence by local authorities, as reported on Tuesday.

According to a PTI report. the CBD Belapur police took action on October 7 by filing a case against the alleged perpetrators, namely Kakasaheb Khade, Vikas Dahiphale, and Mohini Tandale, all associated with Garuda Developers. The charges filed against them include sections 420 for cheating and 406 for criminal breach of trust, as outlined in the Indian Penal Code.

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The alleged scam unfolded when the accused individuals purportedly offered plots at discounted rates within Vindavane village of Uran, enticing 20 prospective buyers to invest a total of Rs 3.13 crore between March 2019 and the present day. It was after this substantial investment that the victims began to suspect foul play.

When the plot buyers approached the accused, seeking the plots they had been promised, they were met with evasive responses and delays. The unfulfilled commitments led the complainants to realize that they had fallen victim to a fraudulent scheme orchestrated by the developers.

Bollywood actor falls prey to cyber fraud

In another incident of fraud, Bollywood actor Aftab Shivdasani lost Rs 1.50 lakh after he received a deceptive text message instructing him to update his Know Your Customer (KYC) details associated with a leading private sector bank. The incident occurred on Sunday and a formal case was registered the following day, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the Bandra police station.

According to the official statement, Shivdasani received a text message from an unfamiliar mobile number. The message urged him to promptly update his KYC information linked to the bank, warning that his account would be suspended if he failed to comply. Believing the message to be legitimate, Shivdasani followed the instructions provided and subsequently received another message informing him of a debit transaction amounting to Rs 1,49,999 from his account.

Realizing that he had fallen victim to a scam, the actor wasted no time in contacting the bank's branch manager on Monday. Acting on the manager's guidance, Shivdasani promptly filed a formal complaint with the police. The police registered a case against the unidentified fraudster under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 420 (cheating), in addition to provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act. An ongoing investigation aims to trace the perpetrators behind the fraudulent scheme.

With PTI inputs