3 dupe retired army officer of ₹22L; booked

MUMBAI: The police on Thursday booked three persons, including a woman, for allegedly cheating a former Indian Army jawan of ₹22 lakh by promising him a MHADA flat.

The accused are identified as Manish Panchal, Poonam Panchal and Datta alias Babasaheb Pawar.

According to the complainant, Pravin Madhukar Pavaskar, 39, who works in a five-star hotel in Mumbai, after completing his term in the Indian Army in 2017, he had received retiral dues of ₹37 lakh in terms of provident fund and gratuity, which he wanted to invest in a flat in Mumbai.

After discussing it with his wife, Pavaskar approached his childhood friend and said that he was looking for a property in Kandivali. The complainant was introduced to the three property agents. The trio told him that they had a flat which was up for sale in Mahavir Nagar in Kandivali West for ₹67 lakh.

The complainant had given ₹27 lakh to the accused in December 2022 as an initial payment and was promised possession of the flat in six months. “The accused had taken the keys of the flat and showed it to Pavaskar,” said a police officer from Samta Nagar police station.

In 2023, when Pavaskar did not get possession of the flat, he demanded his money back. “In 2023, the accused returned ₹5 lakh to Pavaskar and assured him that he would get a flat under the chief minister quota,” said the officer.

When Pavaskar did not get any flat or his remaining money back, he realised that he was cheated by the three people, after which he approached the police and based on his complaint, a case was registered under sections 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

“We have booked the three and are verifying all the transactions done by Pavaskar to the accounts of the accused,” said a police officer from Samta Nagar police station.