Real Estate Fraud Unveiled: Broker Arrest Sparks Manhunt

A real estate agent was arrested by Dahisar Police for defrauding a chartered accountant of Rs 29.5 lakh with a fake flat sale. The accused, Deepak Kirit Shah, was caught, while two accomplices remain at large. The victim discovered the fraud when verifying the property's ownership at the tehsildar's office.

The Dahisar Police have apprehended a real estate agent accused of cheating a chartered accountant out of Rs 29.5 lakh through a fraudulent flat sale, an official confirmed on Saturday.

Deepak Kirit Shah, the suspect, has been taken into custody while his alleged accomplices, Rajesh Jain and a man named Aditya, are currently evading capture. The victim, Hitesh Mansukhbhai Gondvilya, a chartered accountant from Dahisar, was in search of a residential property as he was inhabiting a rented apartment.

Gondvilya discovered an online advertisement for a flat priced at Rs 1.05 crore. Upon contacting the advertised number, he was invited by a man identified as Aditya to visit the property in Rawalpada. During the visit with his father, Gondvilya decided to proceed with the purchase and was introduced to Deepak Kirit Shah and Rajesh Jain, presented as the broker and owner, respectively. Having paid a partial sum, the sale was delayed, raising suspicions, which were confirmed when ownership checks revealed the property belonged to someone else, accompanied by forged documents. Shah now faces charges while the hunt for his accomplices continues.

(With inputs from agencies.)