Couple held for duping flat-buyers

The police has arrested a couple who allegedly cheated several flat-buyers of more than Rs 100 crore on the pretext of selling flats in the posh Green Park area.

The property on which the flats were constructed was actually mortgaged to a bank from which the couple had taken a loan of Rs 7 crore for construction on the site.

Though the property had been mortgaged, the couple was found in possession of the original documents of the property, prompting the police to believe that someone from the concerned bank too had a hand in the crime.

While the exact cheated amount is yet to be ascertained, investigators suspect the amount to run up to Rs 100 crore.

Four victims duped by this couple have so far approached the police, but investigators believe that the husband and wife have cheated more people who refrained from complaining. The couple has been identified as Vinod Bansal and Preeti Bansal.

“Their alleged fraud first came to the South Delhi police’s notice earlier this year when Krishna Devi, a resident of Green Park, approached the Safdarjung Enclave police station,” DCP (south) Ishwar Singh said.

Ms Devi had been offered a floor in the three-storey building early last year by an acquaintance, who told Ms Devi that she had already paid Rs 60 lakh as advance to property owner Preeti Bansal for the flat that she was planning to buy it at a substantial discount of Rs 3.43 crore.

“Goel told Devi that a sudden financial crisis had cropped up because of which she would be unable to purchase the flat. She asked Devi if she was willing to buy it, something the woman gladly did because of the property’s prime location,” the DCP said on Saturday.

It was only after Ms Devi had paid the entire Rs 3.43 crore that she noticed a board, put up by the bank outside the plot of land, announcing that the property had been mortgaged.

Ms Devi immediately called the Bansals to the site and demanded that the entire money be returned.

Ms Devi was offered three cheques. However, the cheques bounced, and Ms Devi approached the police.