Fake docs, morphed pictures: How 6 Mumbai men conned buyers, took money, then vanished
Five men in Mumbai allegedly ran a fake-flat racket, using forged documents and morphed pictures to cheat buyers. They lured people with offers of expensive flats at lower prices, collected advance payments, and then vanished. The Malad police arrested five accused, while the alleged mastermind remains absconding. Investigations revealed a well-planned operation involving fake ads on property portals and forged ownership documents.
New Delhi: The Mumbai police arrested five accused for allegedly running a fake-flat racket, cheating buyers by taking huge sums of money and disappearing. The Malad police said the main accused is still absconding and the investigation is ongoing.
The accused reportedly ran a well-planned racket, luring buyers with offers to purchase expensive flats at cheaper prices. The arrested accused are: Hitesh Ravindra Kedari (30, delivery boy), Rajesh Bisul Prasad (37, delivery boy), Nimesh Anil Mavani (49), Mohammed Rafique Rashid Khan (38), Deepak Kirit Shah (47, broker), and Rajan Harshad Kakkad (45).
Clean paperwork, digital discrepancies..
The victims would fall into the trap and make payments to the conmen. Once the money was deposited into their accounts, the fraudsters would vanish, leaving no trace. The accused usually posted random pictures of under-construction flats and published advertisements on apps like Housing.com, NoBroker, and others to grab viewers’ attention. They would claim flats worth Rs 1 crore were available for just Rs 60–70 lakh.
Buyers were convinced of the authenticity of the offer due to seemingly flawless paperwork. The accused illegally procured documents from the registrar's office and replaced the original owner’s name and photo with that of the accused. According to a police official, the documents appeared "absolutely genuine. Once the buyer paid the advance, the accused disappeared."
The fool-proof plan
Upon investigation, the Malad police discovered the modus operandi of the accused. Kasim Rasheed Khan alias Amit Thakur (absconding), the alleged mastermind, and his brother Mohammed Rafique Rashid Khan clicked pictures of under-construction buildings and uploaded fake advertisements online.
Deepak Kirit Shah, a broker, acted as the main contact and gained buyers’ confidence, while Nimesh Anil Mavani impersonated the real owner using forged Aadhaar and PAN cards. Hitesh Ravindra Kedari and Rajesh Bisul Prasad provided bank accounts to receive advance payments. Once the money was credited, it was withdrawn, distributed among gang members, and the accused went underground.
Further inquiry revealed that transactions were made to an ASP Infra account and to detained account holder Hitesh Kedari. Additional questioning and technical analysis led to the arrest of the accused from Mira Road, Borivali, and Kandivli.