Property fraud: Mulund lawyer duped of Rs 15 lakh as Gujarat couple sells same house twice

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A 53-year-old lawyer from Mulund was allegedly cheated of Rs 15 lakh in a property fraud after a Gujarat-based couple sold the same house to another buyer despite taking a hefty advance from him.

According to Mulund police, the complainant was looking to purchase a house in Valsad, Gujarat, when he was introduced to accused Maulik Shah through a friend. Shah, along with his wife Manali Shah, offered to sell their property for Rs 25 lakh.

After discussions, the deal was finalised and an MOU was signed in April 2021. The victim subsequently transferred Rs 20 lakh in multiple instalments via RTGS between April and August 2021. The accused allegedly cited reasons such as pending loan clearance and unavailability of original documents to delay the registration process.

However, in December 2022, the victim discovered that the same property had already been sold to another buyer for Rs 45 lakh.

When confronted, the accused admitted to selling the house and returned only Rs 5 lakh, assuring that the remaining amount would be paid later. Despite repeated follow-ups, the balance Rs 15 lakh was not returned.

The FIR was registered on March 25, nearly three years after the alleged offence came to light in December 2022.

"The delay in registering the FIR occurred as the accused kept giving assurances to the complainant about completing the transaction and later partially returned Rs 5 lakh, leading him to believe that the remaining amount would also be paid. However, when the accused failed to return the balance and it became clear that the property had been sold to another person, the complainant approached the police," an officer from Mulund police station said.

The two accused have been booked for cheating.