Priest Duped Of ₹84 Lakh In Fake Flat Deal; Vikhroli Police Book Middleman, Builder And Punjab And Sind Bank Officials

Mumbai: The Vikhroli police have registered a cheating case against a middleman, a builder, and officials of Punjab and Sind Bank for allegedly duping a 52-year-old priest of Rs84 lakh under the pretext of selling him a flat in a redevelopment project in Bhandup (East).

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In 2021, Naik Came Into Contact With Nirmal Jain

According to the FIR, the complainant, Chandrashekhar Anayya Naik, a resident of Hariyali Village in Vikhroli (East), works as a priest at Shree Mookambika Temple. In 2021, he came into contact with Nirmal Jain, who frequently visited the temple. Jain allegedly claimed ownership of a flat (No. A-302) in ‘Bhavani Plaza’ at Datar Colony and offered to sell it below market price, citing urgent financial need.

Jain also told Naik that he had close ties with developer Vilas Ramabhau Chaudhary and senior officials of Punjab and Sind Bank, promising to arrange a home loan of up to Rs70 lakh. Trusting him, Naik agreed to the deal, and on November 15, 2022, an Agreement for Sale was registered at the sub-registrar’s office.

Agreement for Sale

With Jain acting as intermediary, Naik applied for a home loan, and the bank sanctioned Rs33 lakh. The amount was disbursed on May 12, 2023, into a joint account of Jain and his wife, Rinky Jain. Meanwhile, Naik paid the remaining amount through bank transfers, cheques, and digital payments to Jain and other individuals, including Shivshankar, Manoj Rajkumar, and Mohammad Salauddin Shaikh, as allegedly instructed by Jain.

Jain allegedly cited his poor CIBIL score and claimed that the bank would initiate recovery proceedings, persuading Naik to transfer the funds into accounts held by other individuals. Between March and May 2023, the bank’s legal advisors verified property records for a limited two-month period and issued a “broken period encumbrance certificate,” stating that no transactions had occurred during that time.

Naik Paid Remaining Amount Through Bank Transfers

The fraud surfaced after a civil suit was filed in September 2023 by Suhas Namdev Pise and others over multiple flats in the Bhavani Plaza redevelopment project, including the one purchased by Naik. In April 2024, a Mumbai court restrained the creation of third-party rights on the disputed flat.

Further Investigations revealed that the flat sold to Naik was actually reserved for an original member of the redevelopment project. Despite being aware of this, Jain and builder Chaudhary allegedly conspired to sell the unit illegally. It also emerged that development rights for the project had been transferred in 2012 to Padmakar Gokarn of Harsh Enterprises through a registered power of attorney, making his approval mandatory for any sale.

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Authorities found that all necessary permissions, including those under MahaRERA, were in Gokarn’s name. However, the accused allegedly suppressed these facts and facilitated the loan using outdated documents, including a lapsed Intimation of Disapproval (IOD) from 2005.

Police have alleged that bank officials and legal advisors knowingly ignored key documents, including the 2012 power of attorney, and sanctioned the loan based on incomplete verification. Naik, relying on the credibility of a nationalised bank, proceeded with the transaction and transferred a total of Rs84 lakh.

Upon realising the fraud, Naik approached the Vikhroli police, who have now registered a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy against Nirmal Jain, builder Vilas Chaudhary, and the concerned bank officials. Further investigation is underway.

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