2 held for duping bizman in bogus Bandra plot deal

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai police have arrested two Khar-based estate agents for allegedly duping a businessman to the tune of crores of rupees on the pretext of selling him a plot in Bandra. The accused persons allegedly prepared bogus documents of the plot and claimed that they were in possession of the property and induced the victim to pay the money.

The arrested duo has been identified as Tulsi Jasnani (59) and Mahesh Alimchandani (54), both residents of Khar (W). According to the EOW, the complainant in the case is Worli-based businessman Vinay Chawla. In October last year, Chawla had approached Bandra Police stating that Jasnani and Alimchandani had conspired together and with the intention of duping him, showed him a 606 square metre plot near Mehboob Studios in Bandra (W) in 2014.

"As per Chawla, the accused had pegged the rate of property at Rs 7 crore and had done an MoU with him for sale of the said property.

Jasnani had claimed to the victim that he was in possession of the said property. Chawla in his complaint has alleged that the accused had prepared forged documents of the said property and induced him to pay an initial amount of Rs 2.67 crore," said an EOW officer.

In 2018, the victim learnt from one of his friends dealing in real estate that the documents prepared by Jasnani and Alimchandani of the Bandra plot were forged.

The Bandra Police on December 7, 2020 registered a case against Jasnani and Alimchandani under sections 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust), 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 465 (punishment for forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of the Indian Penal Code.

The case was then transferred to the EOW for further investigation. The agency then arrested Jasnani on Monday and Alimchandani on Tuesday in the said case. Both the accused had told the court that they were falsely implicated in the case. The accused duo have three other cases of cheating and forgery registered against them, one of which is registered in Lonavala, police said.