MUMBAI: The police have booked seven people, including a woman, for allegedly cheating 16 people to the tune of around ₹4 crore by promising to secure them Mhada flats meant for mill workers in Dadar East at cheaper rates.
An FIR has been registered based on a complaint lodged by Suresh Shinde, 47, a resident of Kalachowki and the owner of a printing business, who was among those cheated.
“Through his business, Shinde became acquainted with a man called Anil Mane, who runs a real estate agency, Om Enterprises, in Dadar East. Mane told Shinde that he can secure flats allotted to mill workers at Bombay Dyeing Mills in Naigaon, Dadar East, at cheaper rates,” said a police officer attached to the Bhoiwada police station.
After discussions and negotiations, Mane allegedly set the price of the flats at ₹35 lakh, with the purchasers required to make a substantial upfront payment. Mane even showed Shinde allotment letters and token receipts, assuring him that he would get possession of the flat within two months, the officer said, adding that Shinde then paid Mane an advance of ₹20 lakh in late 2024.
“On November 28, 2024, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was executed between the complainant and the original allottee. Mane, however, failed to hand over the flat to the complainant within two months and started citing excuses, such as the owner being unwell or not getting train reservations to come to the city,” said the police officer.
In March 2025, Mane allegedly offered Shinde another flat in place of the original one he had agreed to purchase. However, he again failed to deliver, the officer said. Two months later, Mane showed Shinde a third flat, and this time the complainant even visited Satara to meet the owner, who told him he would come to Mumbai if Mane called him. However, Mane later allegedly told Shinde that the flat owner was refusing to sell.
“When the complainant demanded his money back, he was given a cheque that bounced. The complainant later learnt that at least 15 other people had been defrauded in a similar manner by the real estate agent and his accomplices to the tune of ₹3.63 crore,” said the police officer.
Based on Shinde’s complaint, the police have registered an FIR against Mane and six other accomplices for criminal breach of trust, cheating, and criminal conspiracy.
