Fake housing project: Delhi man held for duping 51 people of Rs 11 cr

New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) The Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police has arrested a 57-year-old man for duping 51 people to the tune of Rs 11 crore in a fake housing project. The accused was identified as Rajkumar, a resident of Ramprastha Colony in Delhi.

Giving details, Deputy Commissioner of Police MI Haider said the complainants or victims reported that the Directors of Manju J Homes Ltd. having its registered office at C-294, Ist Floor, Vivek Vihar, Delhi, induced them to book flats in its proposed housing project, Red Apple Homez situated at Rajnagar Extn. in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

According to the official, in 2012, at the time of booking of the flats, the victims were assured that possession of the flats will be given within 3 years. After the initial payment (booking amount), on the application of the investors/victims, funds for the proposed flats were obtained from the banks or financial institutions and the builder company had promised to pay the EMIs against the loan obtained till the handing over of possession. "However, till date the construction at the site has not been completed and the builder company stopped paying EMIs to the banks," the DCP said.

So far 51 complainants have approached the police with an amount of Rs 11 crores being allegedly involved. Several of these complainants have alleged that though the loan was sanctioned on their applications, but without their knowledge, the loan amount was disbursed to the builder by forging their signatures on several documents, the official said.

Accordingly the police registered a case under sections 406, 409, 420, 467, 471 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code at the economic offence wing police station.

During investigation it was found that the land for the residential project situated at Morta village, is registered in the name of the accused builder company namely Manju J Homez Pvt. Ltd. A notice under section 102 CrPC to the District Collector, Sub-Registrar, SDM, Tehsildar, GDA, was sent with the information that the land for the project was used to cheat the investors and no further transfer or creation of third party right on the land should be allowed, the police said.

The reply received from the Ghaziabad Development Authority has revealed that the license or permission for the project was accorded in December, 2015 and thereafter permission from the Fire Department, Environment Department and Municipal Corporation were to be received. However, an examination of the complainants revealed that the builder company prior to sanction of the project had started collecting funds from the investors since 2012.

Further it was found that the builder company had raised the structures of the buildings and thereafter the construction was stopped in 2015. At present the project site was sealed by the Ghaziabad Development Authority for violation of the conditions of license. The reply received from the Fire Deptt also confirmed that the NOC in this regard was accorded in April, 2016.

Investigation revealed that the accused Rajkumar Jain in connivance with other co-accused persons namely Vijayanta Jain, Prateek Jain and Akshay Jain had started a company and launched a project, Red Apple Homez to dupe the public. Rajkumar Jain was also one of the authorized signatories for the bank account and director of the company.

The accused was previously found involved in 29 cases. The official said that the other co-accused persons are yet to be traced.