Malad police have arrested six individuals allegedly involved in a real estate scam that defrauded homebuyers by posting fake property listings and using impostors as owners.
The arrests followed an FIR registered at Malad police station on December 29, after a homebuyer was allegedly duped of Rs30 lakh. Police said the gang provided forged documents for a flat and used an impostor to pose as the owner.
The main accused, Amit Thakur, also known as Qasim Rashid Khan (30), remains at large. Investigators said Khan and his associates have defrauded several victims using similar tactics. Police records show FIRs against Khan at Dahisar (Rs31 lakh) and Kashimira (Rs1.1 crore).
The six arrested individuals are:
Hitesh Ravindra Kedari (30) – delivery boy, Dahisar (East)
Rajesh Prasad (37) – delivery boy, Kandivali (West)
Nimesh Mevani (49) – posed as flat owner, Thane
Mohammad Rafiq Rashid Khan (38) – Andheri (West)
Deepak Shah (47) – property broker, Nalasopara
Rajan Kakkar (45) – Borivali (West)
According to police, the complainant Naval Rajput (31), a Malad (West) resident, had been searching for a flat online for six months. Between November and December, he was contacted by Amit Thakur, who offered a flat in a building on Zakaria Road, Malad. Thakur’s associates, Roshan Yadav and Deepak Shah, allegedly showed Rajput a unit on the 13th floor, which he agreed to buy.
“After negotiations, the deal was finalized at Rs1.10 crore,” said a police officer. Investigations are ongoing, and Amit Thakur remains absconding.
Police have urged homebuyers to verify property ownership and documents before making payments to avoid falling victim to similar scams.
