Man promises Mantralaya official Mhada house, cheats her of Rs 3.83 lakh

The Marine Drive police have arrested a man for allegedly cheating a 55-year-old under secretary at the Mantralaya state government headquarters of Rs3.83 lakh after promising to get her a flat under the Mhada lottery scheme.

They identified the man as Milind Sonawane, a native of Ahmednagar. The government official is with the finance department and is a resident of Gorai. Her husband is a bank staffer. "In 2008, when the government official was in the urban development department, she came to know Sonawane, who claimed to be an estate agent," said a police officer. In fact, when one of her friends wanted to sell her Nashik property, she put her in touch with Sonawane.

Earlier this year, Sonawane told the women that Mhada was having a lottery for 180 sq ft rooms at Ghatkopar and he advised them to invest in these houses. "Sonawane also assured them that he would ensure their names got in the list of allottees. For this he took Rs3 lakh and a pay order of Rs83,750 from the official," the police officer explained.

When the government official learned that the pay order was encashed at Gorakhpur, she got suspicious and made inquiries with Sonawane. "But he avoided her and she lodged a complaint against him with the police. Based on his mobile call details, Sonawane was apprehended from Vile Parle on Saturday," the police officer said.

Sonawane has told the police that the pay order was given to one Mahesh Soni. Police are on the look out for Soni.