Constable arrested for cheating woman under guise of offering cheap MHADA flat

Mumbai crime branch arrested a police constable earlier this week for allegedly duping a woman under the pretence of guaranteeing a cheap flat under the MHADA scheme.

The accused, Nitin Gaikwad, previously worked as a constable under the protection branch. Following his arrest, crime branch officials recovered Rs 5 lakh from him. His accomplice, Sachin Dhuri, will also be placed under arrest after being served a 72-hour notice, per the court order.

The incident came to light after the victim, Samina Lahorwala, filed a complaint against the duo at Byculla police station. In her complaint, she claimed that Dhuri had promised her a cheap 1BHK flat in MHADA at Mazgaon for Rs 48 lakh. The accused convinced her by boasting about his contacts in the housing board, which he could leverage to ensure she gets a flat.

After Lahorwala arranged the money and paid Dhuri, he handed her the allotment letters, sale deed and the power of attorney of a flat in a MHADA building. But, he kept delaying the flat’s registration.

Since Lahorwala continued to follow up regularly, Dhuri later introduced her to Gaikwad, claiming that he will be able to help her with the flat’s registration. But after the first few conversations, even the constable started avoiding her. Following which, she filed a cheating complaint and police laid a trap to nab him. Gaikwad was arrested on September 1.

During investigation, police found out the Gaikwad had been reported missing at his job since 2015 after having taken a sick leave. He was absconding from the department ever since he was asked to appear before the medical board.

Meanwhile, police are also investigating if the duo have cheated anyone other than Lahorwala.