A Panjab University assistant professor, Moniva Sarkar, was arrested for allegedly defrauding a man of Rs 18 lakh in connection with the sale of a flat in the Omaxe ‘The Lake’ project in New Chandigarh. Sarkar, who works in the Sociology Department, was apprehended from the university campus on Monday and remanded in judicial custody after being produced in court.
The incident revolves around a real estate transaction involving Neeraj Kumar, a resident of Mohali, who claimed to have entered into a deal with Sarkar for the purchase of a flat worth Rs 1.30 crore. The agreement was brokered by Ankush Singla, a friend of the complainant. Kumar paid Rs 18 lakh as an advance on September 21, 2023, with the understanding that the flat would be registered in his name by December 5 of the same year.
However, Kumar soon discovered that Sarkar had allegedly struck a deal with another buyer for the same flat, while also maintaining a loan of Rs 92 lakh on the property. Realizing he had been duped, Kumar filed a complaint, leading to the registration of a cheating case under Sections 420Â and 406Â of the Indian Penal Code at the Mullanpur police station on March 15, 2024.
After the case was filed, Sarkar reportedly went into hiding, and efforts were made to resolve the issue through mediation at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Following her arrest, Sarkar was brought to court and remanded to judicial custody as the investigation continues.
The fraud case has drawn attention to fraudulent practices in the real estate sector and has raised concerns about the role of professionals involved in such scams. Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the full extent of Sarkar’s involvement and whether there are other victims connected to the fraud.
