The Thane Police in Maharashtra have a launched a detailed probe after as many as 11 local residents were allegedly duped of lakhs of rupees in a fake `MHADA housing scheme` and booked three people in connection with the matter.
According to the police, the suspects allegedly cheated 11 residents of Maharashtra’s Thane district by luring them with promises of low-cost housing under a government scheme and using forged credentials to open bank accounts for larger financial transactions, police said on Monday, the PTI reported.
Initially, a 54-year-old woman from Ulhasnagar in Thane, who filed the complaint, alleged that the accused won her trust by promising her a house at a concessional rate under the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) scheme.
The accused lured the complainant and others by offering MHADA flats at low prices and collected money from them over the last two years, as per the PTI.
Fraudsters misuse personal details to obtain SIM cards, email IDs, and bank accounts
They also misused their personal details to procure SIM cards, create email IDs, and open bank accounts, an official from Hill Line police station said.
The accused allegedly took Rs 5,000 each from 11 victims, collecting a total of Rs 55,000. They used the victims` credentials to route larger financial transactions through bank accounts opened in their names, he said.
Alleged fund transfers carried out using forged signatures and documents
"They allegedly transferred funds to various bank accounts of companies and builders using forged signatures and documents, thereby cheating the victims and breaching their trust," the official said, the news agency reported.
Following the woman`s complaint on Saturday, the police registered a case against three persons under relevant provisions for cheating and forgery, he added.
The police suspect that more individuals may have been cheated and have urged people to verify claims related to government housing schemes before making payments.
BJP MLA alleges Rs 2,000-crore housing scam in Mumbai; govt orders audit
In a similar incident earlier in March, the Maharashtra government ordered a vigilance audit after a BJP MLA alleged a Rs 2,000 crore scam in housing schemes in Mumbai.
The report of the audit is expected within 30 days, Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal told the legislative assembly.
Madhuri Misal further stated that action would be taken against officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) if they are found to have ignored violations of rules by developers.
Mihir Kotecha, BJP MLA from Mulund, raised the issue through a calling-attention motion.
He said, “Developers have misused provisions under Development Control Regulations (DCR) 33(11) and 33(20)(b), meant for in-situ Permanent Transit Camp (PTC) and Project Affected Persons (PAP) housing,” as per PTI.
BJP MLA alleges Rs 2000 crore housing scam
In-situ PTC housing was shown in approved plans, but instead the developers constructed and sold commercial units and high-end residential flats, he claimed, adding that transactions worth over Rs 100 crore had taken place in Mulund alone and the total scale of the scam across Mumbai was more than Rs 2,000 crore.
Minister Misal admitted that certain irregularities had come to light, and some developers had failed to hand over mandatory housing stock to authorities despite availing additional Floor Space Index (FSI) benefits.
She further added, "Stop-work notices have already been issued in some cases. If it is found that sales took place and BMC officials ignored them, strict action will be taken," as cited by PTI.
Misal also said that the government is reviewing policies related to the relocation of slum dwellers, particularly the cases where beneficiaries are shifted beyond the stipulated five-km radius from project sites.
However, she also added that "a final decision on policy changes will be taken after consultations", as cited by PTI.
(With PTI inputs)
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