In a major real estate fraud, Mumbai police arrested Bela D’Souza, who allegedly posed as a senior official from the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and cheated multiple people out of Rs1.22 crore, promising them affordable flats in prime locations like Bandra, Mahim, Goregaon, and Jogeshwari.
The scam surfaced when Rohit Chandgothia, a Malad-based businessman, lodged a complaint at the Dindoshi Police Station. Chandgothia said he was promised a flat in Dadar for ₹80 lakh and had already paid Rs72 lakh in cash. The deal was facilitated by Rocky Agarwal, who introduced him to Kedar Satam — a co-accused — and later to Bela D’Souza, who falsely claimed to be a MHADA official.
Despite issuing a receipt, D’Souza failed to show the promised flat. Further investigation revealed two more victims:
Ramkeval Yadav, who paid Rs25 lakh for an SRA flat in Goregaon.
Rocky Agarwal himself, who was conned into paying Rs25 lakh for six flat bookings in Bandra and Mahim.
All transactions occurred between March 2022 and March 2025, but none of the properties materialized. As suspicions grew, the accused severed communication and went underground.
Police arrested Bela D’Souza and booked three others — Kedar Satam, Jitendra Rathod, and Girish Rao — for cheating and criminal breach of trust. The remaining three are currently absconding, and a manhunt is underway.
Authorities are now examining whether the accused misused names of actual MHADA or SRA schemes to appear credible. Investigators believe more victims may emerge as scrutiny of documents and complaints continues.
