Five people, including two doctors, have been arrested for duping people to the tune of Rs.1.90 crore on the pretext of providing them with MHADA flats at discounted rates. To make them look like genuine deals, they forged consent letters and even bank loan documents, and assured victims of discounts of as much as Rs.3 lakh.
Vijay Ramanna (28) -- the mastermind, Dr. Riyaz Ahmed Khan (55), Dr. Ram Shankar Singh (51), and Santosh Rajguru (38) alias S.S. Gaikwad, were arrested by the Govandi police, while Dr. Singh’s brother, Ramanand Singh (48) was arrested by the Chembur police.
Ramanna, the alleged mastermind, used to collect cash from the victims and distribute it to others. Dr. Khan owned a clinic at Gaikwad Nagar in Deonar Municipal Colony, while Dr. Singh ran his clinic at R.C. Road in Chembur. The Singh brothers coaxed their patients to invest in MHADA flats and Khan would show them a house in Sahakar Nagar. Originally priced at Rs.14 lakh, the flat would then be offered for Rs.11 lakh.
“Rajguru acted the part of a MHADA sanctioning officer and changed his name to S.S. Gaikwad for the purpose. He works as a volunteer in a local news channel.
Each victim paid up to Rs.9 lakh to him," added Suryavanshi, the crime PI, who added that Rs.50,000 was also recovered from Dr. Khan and a Yamaha bike from Vijay Ramanna, and both are in jail now. Rajguru alias Gaikwad is in police custody till May 27 while Dr Singh has been released on bail.
The incident actually came to light when Vijay Gorakh Savane, a resident of P L Lokhande Marg in Chembur, lodged a complaint at Govandi police station.
Simultaneously, another victim, Bhagwan Kopre, and nine others, lodged a complaint at the Chembur police station.
"Kopre was promised a flat at lower than market price. He initially paid Rs.3.65 lakh and was told that he could take a loan from a bank to pay the rest of the money," said senior inspector B.B. Rathod, Chembur police station.
Crime PI BP Suryavanshi of Govandi police station said, “Using a similar modus operandi, Vijay Ramanna, owner of Global Enterprises in Govandi, had duped complainant Vijay Savane.”
"According to our calculations, the accused took at least Rs 1.90 crore from the victims," said senior inspector Balchandra Rane. "The amount was collected in cash and cheques in the name of Global Enterprises. At present, there is no money in the company's account as Ramanna distributed the money to the other accused,” he said.
A case under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 465 (punishment for forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 471 (using forged document as a genuine), 472 (making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc, with intent to commit forgery) and 419 (impersonation) has been registered at Govandi police station.