Navi Mumbai police register case against 6 people, including the manager of a private bank; main accused forged cheques to withdraw money from 25-member housing society’s account
The 25-member housing society was allotted a CIDCO plot in Kalamboli. Representation pic
Thirteen policemen from Navi Mumbai have been cheated by a man on the pretext of getting them a CIDCO plot for a housing society. The accused allegedly siphoned off Rs 1.5 crore from the society’s account that was opened in the name of the chief promoter. The police suspect the man might have duped many more people. They have registered a case against 6 people, including the manager of a private bank.
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In his complaint, constable Satish Misal told the police that the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) had in 2017 announced a lottery for plots at cheaper rates to build housing societies. Misal said he had come across one Sachin Pawar during his posting at Kharghar police station and the latter claimed he had contacts in CIDCO and that he could get housing plots through ‘setting’. Misal agreed to invest.
Pawar roped in more cops from Kharghar police station saying he needed 25 members to form the housing society to claim a plot. On Pawar’s suggestion, an account was opened with a private bank with Misal as the chief promoter.
Pawar asked each member of the proposed housing society to pay Rs 1.35 lakh to CIDCO and Rs 1.25 lakh to a CIDCO member. About the ‘setting’, Pawar said he had planted people who would pick their society’s name at the time of the lottery. He also collected money from them on one pretext or the other.
Misal attended the lucky draw and found the process transparent. Their society got a plot in Kalamboli without any favour. When Misal questioned Pawar about it, he allegedly deflected the topic. Pawar then sought 5 cheques from Misal to pay to CIDCO in three parts.
In December 2017, Misal gave an application to the private bank to close the society account as Pawar had told him that the society would open a new one. By that time, many of the members had begun to suspect wrongdoings in the formation of the society. Whoever objected to the transactions was removed from the society. Misal told the police that nobody knew how much money exactly one had to pay.
‘Was made to sign cheques’
“Things went on like this for 2 years and the account was never closed by Pawar, but he asked me to sign cheques at various instances. In September 2020 I learnt that many transactions had happened through my account though I never received any notification about them. When I inquired with the bank I was shocked to know that the mobile number attached to my account was of Sachin Pawar,” Misal told mid-day. “Also, Sachin and his brother Nitin withdrew money from the account by forging my signature,” he added.
On checking the statement of the account, Misal realised Rs 1.5 crore had been siphoned off. He recently lodged a complaint against Pawar, Nitin, the manager of the private bank and 3 other people on whose account money had been transferred. Shatrughna Mali, senior inspector of Kharghar police station, said they have registered an FIR and pressed charges including cheating and falsification of accounts against 6 people. “We are yet to make any arrest.”
Misal added, “Right now, 13 cops are in the society who have been defrauded. My R16 lakh have been taken away and many of others have lost similar amounts. It is also shocking that the bank manager actively helped in the forgery of cheques. We hope they are arrested soon. Because of them we are waiting to start construction despite having a plot in our society’s name since 2017.”
2017
Year when the society was allotted a CIDCO plot
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