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A woman allegedly involved in duping three people of over ₹1.22 crore on the pretext of offering low-cost flats in prime areas of Mumbai has been arrested by Dindoshi Police. The accused, identified as Bela D’Souza, is said to have posed as a senior official with the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), luring victims with promises of affordable housing in Jogeshwari, Goregaon, Mahim, and Bandra. The police have named three other accomplices—Kedar Satam, Jitendra Rathod, and Girish Rao—who assisted Bela in executing the fraud. All three are currently absconding and have been declared wanted in the case. The gang allegedly targeted several individuals by claiming to offer MHADA and SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority) flats at discounted prices, collecting large sums without delivering possession of any property. Among the victims is Rohit Chandgothia, a businessman residing in the Govind Nagar area of Malad. He runs a private company engaged in cotton yarn trading. Through his acquaintance Rocky Agarwal, he was introduced to Kedar Satam, who claimed to have booked a flat in a building under construction—Windsor Grand in Oshiwara. It was Satam who introduced Chandgothia to Bela D’Souza, presenting her as a senior MHADA official capable of facilitating flat allotments at reduced prices. Eager to buy a new flat, Chandgothia was offered a property in Sugi Sadan, Dadar, for ₹80 lakh. Trusting Bela and Kedar’s claims, he agreed to the deal and handed over ₹72 lakh in cash. The money was allegedly received by Jitendra Rathod. Although a booking receipt was provided to him, the promised flat was never shown to him despite repeated requests. Meanwhile, the gang also targeted Ramkeval Yadav, who worked for Rocky Agarwal, by offering him a flat under the SRA scheme in Goregaon. They collected ₹25 lakh from him. Bela later influenced Agarwal himself to invest in multiple flats in Bandra and Mahim, assuring him that these properties would yield high returns in the future. On this pretext, another ₹25 lakh was taken from him towards booking amounts and stamp duty for six flats. Between March 1, 2022, and March 30, 2025, the group allegedly defrauded Chandgothia of ₹72 lakh for the Dadar flat, took ₹25 lakh from Yadav for an SRA flat in Goregaon, and extracted ₹25 lakh from Agarwal for six flats in MHADA and SRA projects across Goregaon, Mahim, and Bandra. Despite the sizeable transactions, none of the victims were given possession of any flats. As time passed and inquiries increased, the accused began avoiding calls and eventually disappeared altogether. After receiving formal complaints, Dindoshi Police registered an FIR against Bela D’Souza, Kedar Satam, Jitendra Rathod, and Girish Rao on charges of cheating and criminal breach of trust. Before the case was registered, all four had gone into hiding. However, during a continuous manhunt, police managed to arrest Bela D’Souza. Efforts to locate and apprehend the other three accused are still underway. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the gang may have cheated several other people using similar tactics. Police are now probing the extent of the fraud, trying to determine how many individuals were affected and the total amount of money swindled under the guise of flat bookings. The case has once again highlighted the rising number of real estate scams in Mumbai, particularly those exploiting the names of government housing schemes to deceive unsuspecting buyers. Authorities have appealed to the public to remain cautious and verify all claims before investing in property.

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