The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police on Wednesday arrested Ghatkopar-based builder Neeraj Ved (54) of Srinath Developer for duping flat buyers to the tune of over Rs 6.17 crore.
Interestingly, Ved is the same builder who was booked last week by the Tilak Nagar police for allegedly breaking into his flat which was sealed by the MahaRera officials for default payments.
The housing unit of EOW arrested Ved and is now looking for his wife who is also a director of Srinath Developers.
Ved and his wife Sapna Ved have been booked under the IPC sections of cheating, criminal breach of trust and under the Maharashtra Flat Owners Act 13.
Ved had in 2010 started to construct a redevelopment project at Vihar Lake Road in Bhandup west. In the building, he was to first rehabilitate the existing tenants and sell the remaining flats to new buyers in open market.
Police said that builder was to construct a 13-storey building. However, he constructed up to 16 floors after which the authorities had given him stop work notice and served him notice under MRTP.
The first complaint came from businessman Mahendra Gharot who filed a complaint stating that he bought three flats in the project floated by the firm in Bhandup.
Police said Gharot’s friend Dhamji Nagda also bought property in the same scheme. The two paid a total Rs 6.17 crore and booked six flats and a shop.
“When the project was incomplete even in 2015, Gharot and Nagda started calling Ved who, instead, asked them to fork out more money for extra area and taxes,” said a police officer.
Gharot then learnt all the seven flats had been sold to a third party. These six complainants had even filed a complaint against the builder before the MahaRera which passed an order to pay a fine.
