Mumbai: Trombay Police have uncovered a housing scam in Mankhurd involving fake government papers and the illegal occupation of police flats, leading to the arrest of two women. The flats, located in a building developed by MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority), were being occupied without legal ownership.
Police received a tip-off about unknown individuals living in Building No. 21. During the raid, they found Sufia Khatun Mohammad Shamim Khan (44), a social worker, and Shahida Khatun Usama Khan (22), a housewife, living illegally in flats numbered 511 and 708.
When questioned, the women presented documents claiming the flats were officially allotted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Verification revealed that the papers were forged, including fake signatures of an Assistant Municipal Commissioner from the M-East Ward.
Investigators say the women were working with a man named Sansar Khan, currently absconding, who is believed to be the mastermind. Sansar reportedly posed as a BMC employee, offering flats in exchange for cash and personal documents. Sufia allegedly paid him Rs 2 lakh for a flat he promised to allocate for Rs 5 lakh.
Police believe the group used fake allotment letters to illegally occupy the flats, including one created in Shahida’s name. The two flats have been sealed, and authorities are checking around 30 other units in the building for similar illegal occupation.
Mumbai has a history of housing scams, including cases where builders used forged documents to claim properties. For example, builder Pratik Vira was booked for cheating partners out of ₹13.65 crore involving 71 flats in Bhandup. Authorities are investigating whether this scam is linked to other government housing projects in the city.
