Bizman loses `10L in fake land deal

A Chembur-based businessman, who was looking for land to expand his 'Milk and Milk-products' manufacturing business, was cheated by a bogus real estate agent to the tune of Rs10 lakh.

The victim, Rajkumar Khatana, 42, a resident of Postal Colony in Chembur, approached the police on Saturday night. According to his statement, Khatana wanted to expand his business and was looking to open a manufacturing unit and buy land somewhere outside the city. Through a mutual friend, Khatana was introduced to Arun Palaskar of Kharghar, who claimed to be a real estate agent.

Palaskar took Khatana and his friend Datta Mane, to Khalapur in Raigad district. He showed them three lands, out of which Khatana decided to buy one. Palaskar said the land would cost him Rs10 lakh plus Rs1 lakh, which will be his commission. He told Khatana that after he completes the payment, the registration process will begin and the land will be under his name. Palaskar provided 7/12 extracts or the ‘record of land rights’ to Khatana and the deal was made at Khatana’s residence in Chembur. Khatana handed over Rs3.40 lakh in cash to Palaskar.

From January 2022 to February 2022, Khatana managed to provide the entire amount to Palaskar via online transfer. When the victim asked about the registration, Palaskar kept delaying and gradually stopped receiving calls or messages. Khatana asked him to return the money if the land deal was off, but he kept delaying that as well, the victim said, who later approached the Nehru Nagar police and registered a case against Palaskar.