Police hunt for developer involved in Rs 3 crore scam

The economic offences wing (EOW) is looking for a developer who, on the pretext of re-developing a housing society, took Rs 3.05 crore from its members, but then failed to provide the 450-sq ft flats that had been promised in 30 months to each of the members.

The EOW has already arrested one developer in connection with this cheating case, which was registered under the jurisdiction of the Goregaon police station in the western suburbs. According to the police, the arrested developer, along with one other person, promised 450-square metre flats to the residents of a particular society.

“While taking the money, the accused had promised to give the residents possession of their houses in 30 months. But after waiting for almost six years, the residents realised that they had been cheated, and approached the police to lodge a complaint,” said an official.

Following that, the case was transferred to the EOW, which arrested one person in connection with it, while a search for the other person is still on, said the police.

According to the officials, the entire cheating case involves `3.05 crore. The incident came to light after one Darshansingh Jhala — a resident of Ekta Suprabhat building in Goregaon’s New Siddharth Nagar — approached the police and informed them that the residents there had been asked to vacate their buildings in 2007. The residents, while being asked to vacate their houses, were told that the reason behind the same was the redevelopment of the building.

Then, while issuing notice to vacate the flats, the developer concerned promised the residents that they would be given possession of a 450-square metre flat in the redeveloped building within 30 months.

The residents waited for a long time for the same, but were never given possession of these promised flats. Later, when the residents started approaching the developer again and again, the latter started avoiding them. Moreover, the residents discovered that the developer had sold off their flats to other parties without taking any permission from the previous residents. The complainants also alleged that the developer had never received any go-ahead from the BMC to sell the flats, and done so for personal gains.